


Restitutions

by clefable4tw



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Drama, Humor, M/M, Romance, Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:16:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28778907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clefable4tw/pseuds/clefable4tw
Summary: After an unexpectedly intimate encounter, Odo and Quark have troubles navigating in the wake.  A lot of troubles...
Relationships: Odo/Quark (Star Trek)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is set during late Season 5, and contains spoilers up through episode 20, Ferengi Love Songs.
> 
> Most of this story is rated Teen, but a few scenes I thought warranted the Mature rating.

Odo walked briskly along the Promenade to Quark’s. He’d wanted to get there sooner, but he’d been delayed with paperwork at the security office. He still didn’t understand why Starfleet insisted on detailed reports for such simple crimes as pick pocketing. It was a waste of his time, no one would ever read them, and tonight they put him in a situation he’d been avoiding for weeks. Still, he wasn’t going to let that stop him from his duties as Chief Security Officer, because Quark was absolutely – always had been, always would be – a threat to station security.

He strode through the first floor doors of this ‘ _fine_ _dining_ _establis_ _h_ _ment.’_ The seating area was dark, quiet, empty – as he’d known it would be, but he turned his attention to the bar and saw the owner sitting on one of his barstools, a data pad before him on the counter, no doubt fudging his accounts to justify paying his employees less. Said owner was not looking at the pad now, but at Odo with an uncharacteristically blank look on his face, causing Odo to scowl even more than he already was.

“Don’t look so surprised, Quark. I’m just making my rounds. Keeping an eye on you.”

“Why didn’t you come earlier?” This question lacked the challenging undertones they often spoke to each other with. It was honest, open even, and though he was no longer humanoid, he understood why they had a habit of grinding their teeth, because that was exactly what he found himself doing now.

“I was delayed.” he bit out.

“Well, I’m just doing some accounting.” Quark replied casually.

It was unnecessary, he knew this, but he needed to move – to do something, to have _some_ control – so he marched over and grabbed the padd. It was an accounting spreadsheet – as Quark had said it was – written in Ferengi. Odo read it with ease, having realized long ago that if Quark were going to be a permanent fixture on this station, he would need a thorough grasp of the language.

“You’re telling the truth. Astonishing.” Odo stated, his voice dripping with every ounce of sarcasm he could muster.

“I’m not the one having difficulties with the truth here, Odo.” countered Quark, a bit of fight in his tone. Good, _that_ was the Quark he was used to dealing with. As far as a reply, Odo thought of denying it, but unlike the scoundrel before him, he valued the truth.

“On the contrary, I do not have any trouble understanding what transpired. Only, I see no value in discussing it.”

“You’re confusing facts with truth, Odo.”

He hardly expected such wisdom from Quark, but he had been known to have his moments. Unfortunately, this appeared to be one of them. Fine, he would play this game, if Quark insisted.

“Pray tell then Quark, what _is_ the truth in this? Hmm? Please, enlighten me as to what I’m supposed to be doing.” Now it was Quark’s turn to be taken aback, and Odo took a grim pleasure from that, as he continued. “See? Not so easy, is it?”

“The way I see it, you’ve got two options. Either it didn’t matter – it was just a fluke, an occupational hazard – and you get over it, like you military types do with every crazy thing that happens around here. Or, you admit something about it bothered you, you face it and you do something about it.”

“Do you give this same lecture to all your patrons, Quark? Because I think I’ve heard this one before.”

“I’m serious, Odo.”

“That’s funny, because I thought the only thing you were serious about was earning latinum. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you leaving something out? _You_ were there too. Curious then, why is this entire conversation about _me_?”

Odo was feeling some relief, because even though he hated what they were talking about, the tension from not talking about it was just as uncomfortable. But when Quark again remained silent, Odo scoffed. Why had he thought, _even for a split second_ , that he could have a conversation with Quark about this. Why’d it have to be him of all people? Anyone would be preferable, and he was struck with the futile wish that this had never happened. That there was some way to make this go away.

Then Odo realized with a grin, there _was_ a way to make this go away. Because of the incredibly low moral standards of the man he was speaking with. Finally, something good about this.

“I have another option, Quark. One I believe we will both find mutually beneficial. I will pay you never talk about this. To me, or anyone else. How much?”

“Is that a joke? It’s not very funny.”

“How about month’s salary?” Odo continued, nonplussed.

“Odo-” Quark started, irritated, but Odo was on a roll.

“Two months salary. You’re striking a hard bargain here.”

“Odo!”

“Three months salary? Really, Quark, I am practically giving you money. All you have to do is be quiet, but if you insist, three months salary it is.” Odo had plenty of funds; he didn’t eat or drink, or indulge in any luxuries really. To him, this was money well spent.

“No computer transfer, let’s keep this off the books, shall we? That should be no problem for you, eh, Quark? I will have it for you by the end of the next cycle. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

Odo turned and walked away, not bothering to look at Quark as he did so. He didn’t care what his reaction was: it was a fair deal, and he felt the best he’d felt in weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

Life continued on. Weeks passed. Odo did his patrols, met with his deputies, socialized with the senior officers. Judging by the surface, everything should have been fine. But, he knew more than most that what lies beneath can be very different from the surface, and the relief he felt after giving Quark the money had been short lived. He still found himself thinking about that mission.

Captain Sisko was asked to help broker a trade deal with a planet in the Gamma Quadrant, one that was well known for its medicines. The problem was they were not eager to trade with Starfleet, not with the Dominion breathing down their necks. They were however, willing to trade with Non-Federation planets.

Enter, Quark.

The Captain agreed to drop one of his smuggling fines in exchange for his cooperation. That was the official story, anyway. Odo heard through Major Kira that after Quark dragged his feet, Sisko actually used his surefire way to get Quark to do something, which was reminding him Starfleet did not charge him rent or utilities, an arrangement that could be changed at any moment.

So, Quark came along representing the Grand Nagus. Commander Dax and Doctor Bashir were charged with testing the medicines – for the Grand Nagus, of course – Chief O’Brien came to oversee some new repairs he had done to the Defiant, and Odo performed his usual duties as security officer. Though, he enjoyed being in the Gamma Quadrant for personal reasons. It was a chance to be closer to home – the Great Link – if only infinitesimally.

The people of planet Klaris enjoyed a warm tropical environment, lush with plant and animal life. In fact, the Klarisians themselves were humanoid plants, with green chlorophyll-rich skin. They were a friendly people, who offered them food and drink, and were appreciative of the chance to make a deal with ‘The Grand Nagus.’

“Yes, yes, I’m sure Ferengi for generations will benefit from these medicines!” their host told Quark enthusiastically. The trade deal came together quickly, easily. Dax and Bashir approved, Sisko was pleased, and Quark was happy he could get back to his bar.

Odo should have known it couldn’t be that easy, but for reasons he could never have anticipated. To commemorate the trade deal, the Klarisians invited them to a ceremony. Sometimes it was difficult with the translators, but this ceremony seemed to have religious and celebratory aspects.

“I’m not well suited to these diplomatic functions.” sighed Sisko, as they waited for their chaperone in the lobby of their hotel.

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” asked Dax.

“I believe I left it back on the other side of the wormhole.” he replied.

“I agree with the Captain.” said Quark. “The quicker we get back to the Alpha Quadrant, the better.”

Their chaperone soon retrieved them and they walked to a grand estate nearby. On the back patio – resplendent with pools, gardens, and walking paths – a small bonfire crackled, and a woman in a floor length gown stood at attention, the focus of a small crowd gathered around her.

“Welcome friends, new and old. Today we honor our ancient gods, thank them for the knowledge they imparted to our ancestors, the knowledge that allowed us to create the medicines we distribute all around the Quadrant, and now, beyond!”

A cheer broke out amongst the Klarisians, and Dax, ever eager for a party, joined in. Bashir and O’Brien seemed to be relaxing as well. Odo never really cared for parties, but he accepted them as one of his duties.

The priestess led her fellow Klarisians in chant, with a bevy of drummers accompanying them. She continually threw herbs into the fire in time with the chant. Myriad colors of smoke rose from the flames as the herbs burned: reds, greens, purples.

“Beautiful! They smell great too!” Dax cried happily.

Odo had to admit he was enjoying this part, watching the smoke rise and scatter to the winds. He mostly tuned out the words of the chant, it didn’t interest him, but one part was repeated so many times it stuck in his mind.

“Love yourself, love each other, the gods put no limits.”

After one final cheer, drinks were passed out, and a band started to play. There was scattered conversation, dancing, a low-key affair. Eventually, their party reconvened, and Captain Sisko confidingly asked, “Anyone else feeling a little weird? I can’t get all those colors out of my head.”

“Me too. Maybe we should have asked what this ceremony was about.” replied Bashir.

“I’m still smelling those herbs.” O’Brien confessed.

“But I don’t feel like I’m hallucinating.” Dax added.

“What are you talking about? I feel fine.” Quark said.

“As do I.” concurred Odo.

“Something wrong, friends?” asked the priestess, joining their group.

“We believe we’re having a reaction to the ceremony, Ma’am.” the Captain admitted.

“It is only temporary, I assure you! This is how we honor our gods. Do you find it unpleasant?”

“No... It feels pretty nice.” said Sisko, with some relief.

“As it should! It is a night of revelry, so please, enjoy yourselves!”

“See, lighten up, will you? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to ask that handsome stranger to dance with me. I am loving this beat.” muttered Dax conspiratorially, leaving the group.

Odo stuck around for awhile longer. He did enjoy observing humanoid behavior; he understood them more after the time he spent as a human, but eventually he grew restless and set off down one of the footpaths. He found it equally fascinating viewing the wide variety of flowers on display along the border of the paths. He was sure if he still had his sense of smell there would be a rich bouquet of fragrances in the air. This was a truly beautiful place, even he – who rarely indulged in material things – could appreciate that. He could see how the surroundings inspired the naturally joyous state of the natives.

In fact, he could not remember the last time he had felt so joyous, and he wondered if the state the others were describing earlier was only now starting to effect him. He wound his way back to the party, to check that everything seemed peaceful – even though he was off duty, he still liked to keep an eye on things – and even though he was starting to see the myriad colors from the smoke. Assured that everything was as it should be, he decided retire to his quarters for the evening.

He strolled through the empty hotel lobby to his suite, through his entry room, and out onto a small balcony overlooking the jungle. There, in blissful solitude, he observed the colored smoke plumes, the echo of the drums, the beat of it pulsing in and around him. It was odd at first, as Captain Sisko said, but it was not uncomfortable, and there was no loss of self with it. It was not like being inebriated; there was no wooziness or disorientation, no slowing of his movements.

It _did_ feel nice, pleasant, and he was amazed that it effected a changeling such as himself. He even heard an echo every now and then of the priestess’ chant, _“Love yourself.”_ He continued sitting, immersed in the experience of it all, until he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

When he opened the door, he found Quark standing alone in the quiet corridor.

“Can I come in?” This was an oddly polite request from Quark and it raised Odo’s suspicions, but he allowed it, curious. He extended his arm in invitation and Quark hustled in, looking somewhat agitated. Concerned that maybe an incident cropped up at the party – something always happened when a group of humanoids gathered, he asked. “What’s wrong, Quark?”

“What? Nothing, nothing. Well, that stuff back at the party, it started effecting me.”

“It’s effecting me too.”

“Really?”

“Hmm.” with a nod. Quark seemed momentarily relieved, and Odo noticed the effect was more noticeable with him here: the drum beat quickened, the smoke plumes became more varied, more beautifully intricate. He imagined if he still had a sense of smell or taste, those would be effected too.

There was even something about Quark himself. His presence was pleasing, enhancing to this whole experience. Upon realizing this, he heard the echo of the priestess’s voice again, this time saying “ _Love each other_.” Then, the smoke plumes intensified, the beat of the drum got louder and it all made sense. He and Quark’s differences, arguments, scuffles, none of it mattered. He could see the good in him.

And he could see in Quark’s eyes that he knew it too, and seeing that knowledge in him was… beautiful, Odo realized with a jolt. As beautiful as the smoke plumes, as beautiful as the botanical paradise all around them.

And it seemed terribly foolish now that they had wasted so much energy, so much time with all this, when they could have had so much more. _Been_ so much more. But, what to do? What should he – what should _they_ _–_ do with this epiphany?

Though he had no time to think about that, because these epiphanies kept coming, kept emerging, as steady and unrelenting as the drums. That spark of life in Quark that was so engaging, his full hearted joy when his business deals went well, his full hearted disappointment when they went awry. The magnetism between them that caused them to continuously repel and attract.

The magnificent design of Quark’s clothing, that Odo realized he now wanted to see removed from him. And there was nothing startling about this thought, even though it was the first time he’d ever thought it. In fact, it seemed perfectly natural, perfectly obvious, as he reached out to Quark, who was already stepping toward him in this intricately timed dance. Because nothing else mattered, only how pleasing it was to have Quark’s arm around his back, to feel his body close to his, and that they were alone. The room faded away. The beat continued on and the plumes continued twisting and swirling. It all made so much sense. This is why Quark was here, why _any_ of them were here. And with that, he heard one final echo from the priestess:

“ _There are no limits…”_


	3. Chapter 3

… At least, that’s how it seemed at the time, because as Odo reformed on the bed the next morning, with Quark fast asleep beside him, the room filled with bright sunlight, there was no remaining aura of understanding, no insulating curtain of the night. He was disturbed, to have been lying next to Quark in his plasma state, though in all fairness Quark was equally exposed, in the humanoid equivalent, just covered with a sheet. Though Odo did have flashes of memory coming back, of changing his shape last night to be without clothing.

There was something fascinating, even amidst the growing horror, at seeing Quark without his heavy layers of clothing. Clothing that, as Odo slowly rose, he saw carelessly scattered across the room. Just another thing terribly amiss about this morning, because Quark spent a small fortune on his clothes. According to Garak, he was one of his best customers, and he would never normally leave his articles crumpled on the ground, no matter how clean that floor was.

Odo rose gently and especially carefully, as to not wake Quark. He did not want to talk with him right now. He was clear about that; it may be the only thing he was clear about this morning. He required time and space to get his mind around this. He left the room, taking care not to look back.

He walked the grounds. He knew enough of alien differences in culture to understand the Klarisians meant no harm, that in fact they had shared with their guests what to them was a sacred and meaningful ceremony, but this was all too much. Eventually though, despite his shock, he was soothed by the gardens and he met up with his party later in the day. Quark was the last to arrive, dressed in a different suit than he had been wearing last night. They had a farewell meeting with their hosts and boarded the Defiant. Mission accomplished.

After they entered warp and were on their way home, Dax started in. “So, was that a great night or what?”

“You mean with your handsome dancer?” asked Bashir.

“We just danced, honestly. You know I’m seeing Worf. Besides, the Chief was dancing too.”

“Hey, they insisted and there’s nothing wrong with a little dancing.” argued O'Brien.

“I’m just getting my facts straight, you know, for when Commander Worf and Keiko ask what happened.” explained Bashir.

“Like we said, there’s nothing to tell. And what about you, Doctor? I saw you with your lady in blue. She was cute!” said Dax.

“She was, wasn’t she.” he replied wistfully.

Dax turned her attention to Captain Sisko. “I lost track of you Captain, but don’t hold back on us. Who was it? The woman serving the smoothies?”

“I would like to politely remind you I am seeing Cassidy Yates.”

“Benjamin, the priestess herself?!”

Sisko shook his head with a grin. “Fine, I’ll throw in a little intrigue, just for you, Old Man: A gentleman never tells.”

“At the risk of being insubordinate, you are many things, Benjamin, but a gentleman is not one of them. Still, it’s nice to know that not everyone in the Gamma Quadrant wants to kill us. I will remember it fondly.”

“As will I. Quark, Odo, it’s a shame you missed out.” said Bashir.

“Yes, you stuck out like a sore thumb, Quark! I could feel it. I knew you weren’t effected, as though you weren’t on the same wave length.” said Dax.

“Go ahead and rub in in. None of the females were interested in me because of my strong Ferengi immune system. Big deal. At least you got your medicine.”

“Nothing at all happened for you, Quark?” inquired Bashir.

“Nope, just another night for me.”

“You too, Odo?” the Doctor asked.

“No, my physiology was not effected.” Odo always knew Quark was a bad influence, because just as easily as the lies rolled off Quark in this conversation, they rolled off him. Just as easily, in fact, as they made their way back to Deep Space Nine. Though, as Odo had often mused since, it was nowhere near as easy to come to terms with what happened that night.

Yet, there was nothing to do but move forward. So he did. At least, that was Odo’s plan, until Quark made things complicated, as he often tended to do…


	4. Chapter 4

…By breaking and entering into Odo’s quarters. Odo should have seen it coming. It wasn’t the first time, yet, here they were.

Odo was relaxing inside of a bowl in his quarters. It wasn’t exactly the same as sleeping, but it was similar enough – he rested, and he often tuned out the outside world. So, he did not hear Quark outside picking the lock. It only came to his attention Quark was there at all after he announced his presence.

“Odo, I checked the station records. I know you’re in here somewhere. Just listen to what I have to say.

“That night on Klaris – yeah, I’m talking about it. I know we had a contract, but I’ve been known to break a contract every now and then. But that night… I didn’t just come to see you randomly, alright? It wasn’t an accident. I could have just gone back to my quarters. And I know we don’t always get along; I remember what I said on the mountain, but I don’t hate you. Sometimes... I think you’re right, that you do know me better than anyone else.”

Quark paused for a moment, seemingly to gather his thoughts, then continued:

“No Ferengi would ever talk to you about this, but, in our culture... males and females are so separated, that… sometimes things happen. No one talks about it, but things have been known to happen.”

“So, there’s my piece, and because what I just shared with you is private, I will kindly pay you to keep it between ourselves. I’ll be heading out; the payment’s here in this bag.”

Odo heard the sound of his doors open and shut. Later, after he reformed, he examined the bag. Inside contained exactly three month’s worth of Odo’s wages, down to the slip.

* * *

Odo stood overlooking the Promenade the next day, when he was approached by one Jadzia Dax.

“Good evening, Constable.” she greeted him cheerily.

“Good evening, Commander.” he responded curtly. He could tell she had something on her mind, and sure enough, she proved him right.

“Constable, as you know, I make it my business to know everyone else’s business on this station. And, it’s a small station. We all affect each other, and I like for us to be happy, having a good time, so I can’t help but notice you seem troubled. I’m all ears, if you’d like to talk. Because I know I would.”

“Hmm.”

Odo knew Jadzia was not the only culprit in the station’s rumor mill, but she was definitely a major player. Her lightness and humor made her interest seem non-invasive, and he rarely detected judgement from her, at least as far as people’s personal lives were concerned. This was evidenced by the fact that, to the best of Odo’s knowledge, she was the only one aboard Deep Space Nine to be on friendly terms with both Klingons and Ferengi. He did not want to tell her what happened, but he was curious how she managed to get along with so many different cultures, so he asked her.

“Is this about Quark?” was her response. Still curious, he did not deny it.

“How did you know?”

“Well, I can tell you that many bar patrons, including myself, have missed you and Quark’s repartees over the last few weeks. It’s one of our station rituals. We don’t have a sunrise, but we know the Doctor and O’Brien are going to play darts, we know Jake’s going to sit in the bar observing people for his stories, and we know you and Quark are going to exchange some barbed banter with each other. Except, now you don’t.”

Odo had not stopped frequenting Quark’s altogether. He still kept an eye on him, but he had refrained from hounding Quark so publicly about his extra-legal activities.

“You wouldn’t be the first, or the last to have trouble with Quark, or with the Ferengi in general. Kira used to complain to me all the time, ‘How can you stand Quark? He’s greedy, misogynistic, untrustworthy.’ Is that basically your problem?”

“Yes.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“Well, what I told Kira is, ‘Yes, all those things are true.’ I don’t trust Quark, at least, not in the way I trust you, or Benjamin, or any of my fellow officers. But if you can get past that, Ferengi are a lot of fun, aren’t they? And I like fun.

“But, what I’m going to add for you is that, when dealing with anyone, but especially people you don’t have as much in common with, you have to look at them by some of their own cultures standards. Quark _is_ honorable by Ferengi standards. In fact, he’s actually softened somewhat being around us, because let me tell you, compared to some of the Ferengi I’ve met, Quark is a saint. He – generally – does not deal in weapons or highly addictive substances, his bar prices are fair, he’s paying for sick leave and paid vacation days for his employees, thanks to Rom. He sends a generous amount home to his mother and he supported Rom and Nog after Nog’s mother remarried. Yes, you could argue he put them both to work for him, but to a Ferengi, that is support.

“So, I hope I’ve given you something to think about, and I very much am looking forward to hearing you and Quark at the bar again.” Jadzia concluded with a luminous smile and a wink before walking away.

* * *

She most certainly had. Odo was still on duty, but at the end of his shift, he made his way to his quarters to reflect. Because after all, if Quark was more capable of this kind of self-reflection than he was, what did that have to say about him?

When he had thought about it thoroughly, he recognized the many conflicting theories going on in his mind. There was some influence by the Klarisian ritual, and he had wanted to pin the blame on that, but the conversation aboard the Defiant gave him evidence that suggested otherwise. The ritual had not caused anyone a loss of control. None of his fellow officers had betrayed their current partners because of it. Doctor Bashir may or may not have spent the night with his ‘Lady in Blue,’ but there was no evidence to suggest that had anything to do with the ceremony.

Odo himself had been perfectly content walking the footpaths and looking out into the jungle from his balcony, just as O’Brien and Dax seemed perfectly content dancing and feasting with the Klarisians. The ceremony had not caused a Bacchanalian orgy. He had not felt compelled to be intimate with anyone before Quark arrived, and it was only Quark he wanted to be intimate with.

And that is what he focused on now. If the ceremony did not cause the desire to be with Quark, something else – something within him – had, and that desire had not formed in that instant alone when Quark knocked on his door. It was based off the many years they had known each other.

It was no secret that he and Quark had butted heads many times, though at no point more memorably than the harsh planet they crash-landed on, but as Dax said, things were almost always interesting with Quark around. Odo did enjoy the challenge he presented. Quark’s cleverness, resourcefulness, and quite frankly his tenaciousness pushed Odo to be a better investigator. Even though he often wished Quark would put those qualities to better use, as Rom and Nog had, he still admired those things about him. And, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, Quark did possess a certain… charm, for lack of better word. No doubt helpful in his business ventures.

But, where did that cross over into wanting to be with him like this? Maybe a futile question, as that mystery that had eluded humanoids throughout time and star systems. Everyone seemed to agree there was some unknowable element. Sometimes it was love at first sight, and sometimes it was someone you knew but saw in a new light.

He doubted he would ever have considered being with Quark without the Klarisian ritual. It was not the essence of it, but it was the light that allowed him to see it, this possibility. A possibility that, to the best of his comprehension, Quark was endorsing. And while it was true he found Ferengi difficult in general, if going by someone’s people alone, no one on the station would have anything to do with him. _His_ people had systematically conquered the Gamma Quadrant and were making inroads into the Alpha Quadrant. He appreciated that his comrades accepted his individuality; even though he was a changeling, he made his own choice.

So, there it was again. Is this something he wanted to pursue? He thought of how tense he had been these last few weeks, avoiding all this. He thought of Major Kira, the experience of waiting and the wondering and the hoping. He remembered Arissa, the woman involved with the Orion Syndicate, and how even though he had been unsure, nervous about his feelings toward her, he had acted upon them, and how wonderful it felt to have her reciprocate those feelings.

He acknowledged Quark’s bravery in coming to him, not once, but twice about this, and how in doing so, eased Odo’s tensions. He thought back to that night, and remembered the beauty he had seen in Quark, and in the remembering of it, he realized he did want to see it again, experience it again. And with that he realized, with no small amount of trepidation, he had his answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, Odo took a walk around Deep Space Nine. The shops on the were Promenade closed save for the few food vendors who catered to the shift workers, the lifts were deserted and the hallways quiet. Eventually, he stood outside Quark’s quarters, and rang the chime.

He knew Quark would still be up, he usually stayed a little after closing time to tidy up for the next day before retiring to his quarters around now, and sure enough Quark did come to the door quickly, in his pajamas and looking at Odo as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

“May I come in?” Odo asked, feeling a sense of deja vu, and Quark wordlessly stepped aside to let him through. After the door closed, Quark spoke, “Just to be clear, you’re not here to arrest me, are you?”

“No.”

“Okay. Um… Do you want anything to drink? No, you don’t drink anymore. Uh, why are you here, Odo?”

“In response to last night. Just to be clear,” using Quark’s turn of phrase, “You are interested in furthering our relationship?” He thought Quark would appreciate the bluntness of this statement, in that it sounded like a business negotiation, but instead he looked uncomfortable.

“Look, I get it now, you don’t want to go there. We… don’t have to mention it again, but could you start coming to the bar like you used to, talk to me a bit? People keep asking if we got in a fight, I tell them no, they don’t believe me -”

“I want to.”

“Come back to the bar? Good, people miss you, it’s better for business when you’re around. People feel safe, knowing the Constable’s on the job.”

“Quark.” Odo said irritably. This was turning out to be more difficult than he thought.

“So we’re good then?” said Quark, plowing right on ahead. “Good, now if you don’t mind, I’m beat, I'm going to lay down, but I’ll see you at the bar tomorrow, right?”

There was something endearing about this. He understood the nervousness that came with the territory – the pain of rejection, Quark’s desire for it to just be normal again, but since Quark was not letting him get a word in and actions spoke louder than words, he quickly stepped forward and kissed him.

He did keep in mind to be careful of Quark’s teeth. The Ferengi may not be the most intimidating species, but their teeth were quite sharp. Odo wasn’t worried from an injury stand point: they did not cause him harm, but he was trying to pass as humanoid and when he was cut he reverted back to his plasma state, ruining the illusion.

It was only a brief kiss; its intention was more to get Quark’s attention than it was a display of affection, but it worked. Quark stopped talking, stopped moving, and just looked up at Odo in the dim light. Odo held his gaze, making sure not to look away, to let Quark see whatever it was he needed to see, that Odo did not make a joke about this, did not offer any other explanation but the obvious. Watched but did not move away as Quark reached up, placing his hands on either side of Odo’s head, and started to pull him down as – Odo noted with a certain wry amusement – Quark leaned up on his toes.

And they kissed, a proper kiss this time, and Odo made sure to note this to himself. This was something they had both chosen, without any interference. There were no fantastically colored smoke plumes, no pounding drums and they were not surrounded by jungle. There was only the background hum of Deep Space Nine, its artificial lighting and its replicated air.

Moving with Quark that first night had felt seamless, but tonight it involved many foci. He’d already considered the teeth, but he was also taking care not to bump Quark’s forehead, negotiating when Quark needed to take a breath – something Odo rarely thought about – and trying to alleviate some of the awkwardness involved with their height difference.

But there was something immensely rewarding, when Quark relaxed against him, to actually feel his muscles loosen under Odo’s hands, to feel him arch his back when Odo pulled him closer, feeling Quark become more sure of his holds on him as well.

And, as they continued, some of the thoughts came back from that night. Why _had_ they – why had _he_ _–_ waited so long, because the rawness was melting away and he was feeling more confident. Confident enough to smile as Quark muttered something about the couch and pulled them in that direction, sitting backward as Odo followed suit, but he had to admit he was taken aback when he felt Quark’s hands on his ears, and he could tell Quark was taken aback too. First, when it did not have the intended effect, and second, when he realized _why_.

He wondered if Quark had ever been so lost in the moment that he had tried to give a non-Ferengi oo-max before. The Ferengi certainly made a big deal about it, and it was a familiar enough scene to Odo, walking in on one woman or another delicately running her hands along Quark’s ears. The Ferengi were not shy about it – it seemed perfectly acceptable to them to do so in public, and Quark never appeared embarrassed after Odo interrupted them.

Odo had always found it distasteful, for both parties – Quark using the women for some momentary pleasure, the women using him for latinum - and he didn’t quite understand why the Ferengi would allow just anyone to touch their ears, considering how important they were to them, but he had seen it, and sitting here, under these circumstances, he experienced a flash of connection, similar to when he shape-shifted, _to become a thing is to know a thing_ , even similar to being apart of The Great Link itself, an understanding beyond words of what it meant to be a Ferengi, and he experimentally reached out to grip the top outer edge of each of Quark’s often prized lobes, applying moderate, steady pressure as he worked his way down.

This was a different method than the usual feather light touches he’d witnessed, and when he did not hear Quark’s usual feather light sighs of appreciation, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. He looked down to gauge Quark’s reaction at the same time Quark looked up to him, a light green-blue blush starting to appear on his face. Odo had only seen this once before, in the early stages of climbing the mountain from exertion, but eventually the chill got to him, burning his skin an angry orange.

Yet he was more fascinated with the brightness in Quark’s eyes, and, once their gazes met, the self-consciousness he saw therein. Quark and self-conscious were two words he rarely put together, but he could somewhat understand.

They were in the midst of a sexual act, but Quark was the only one showing any humanoid indication of that, for while Odo appeared humanoid, he was not. He had no blood pumping through his veins, no lungs drawing in breath. Odo was not a skilled enough shape-shifter to recreate all that, though he did experience a pleasure from this, and wanting to reassure Quark of this, he dipped down to kiss him again, and was relieved when he reciprocated.

He also instinctively pressed his nose to his, which - if going by the cry Quark let out when he did it was any indication – was appreciated. Quark had actually been surprisingly quiet throughout this. He supposed it would seem quieter, without the drums.

Odo meanwhile moved toward the middle ear ridges, changing pressure as he went, sometimes rolling strokes with his thumbs, sometimes linear strokes, until he reached the inner part of his ear. He propped the leg closest to Quark up on the couch to be able to turn toward him more easily, and Quark scooted closer in the space between, tilted his head down and pressing it into Odo’s shoulder. He knew Quark was close – his breathing had turned to panting – and Odo got him over with a particularly deep stroke.

After a moment, Odo moved his hands off Quark’s ears, which had taken on a strong blue tinge, the same as the blush, the same as Quark’s fingernails, fingernails which were now gripping Odo’s shirt front. Seeing him like this, it was hard for Odo to recall ever disliking him so much.

As Odo waited for Quark to catch his breath, absently rubbing circles on his back, he was startled by the chime of his com-badge - “Kira to Odo.” - though Quark was more so, jerking at the sound causing Odo to quickly pull him towards himself so he didn’t fall off the couch, while at the same time, clicking his badge. It was ingrained.

“Odo here.” 

“I’ve got a crew at Docking Bay 3 demanding to talk with the Chief of Security. Something about a possible robbery. Could you meet me here?”

“On my way.” He clicked his badge off, then as Quark stood up from the couch, he stood as well.

“Quark -” Odo started, but Quark interrupted him, “Just go, Odo.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Just go.” Quark repeated.

Odo nodded, as he turned for the doors. The mood was irretrievably lost. He supposed the kindest thing he could do was to leave quickly. So that is what he did.

* * *

Odo reported to Docking Bay 3. The problem was a scuffle about a missing necklace amongst the crew of a ship. Odo did a series of interviews, his hunch afterwards being that the necklace in question was simply misplaced, not stolen.

With Chief O’Brien’s help in the morning, they scanned the ship and found the missing necklace. The crew was pleased, and normally Odo would be too, but he instead he felt guilty.

He couldn’t escape the magnitude of the trespass last night, even though it was not intentional; to have left when he did. Additionally, this was the second time he had left Quark abruptly after an intimate moment. Two for two.

Though that guilt was soon replaced by outrage. Because of course Quark couldn’t stay out of trouble.


	6. Chapter 6

It was small, but immediate.

The next day, Odo caught Quark communicating with a known criminal over subspace, and when Odo spoke to him about it there was a definite chill in the air. There were no private visits to each others quarters after that.

A few days after that, Odo busted him for a minor smuggling violation. He also witnessed Quark flirt with a woman he was trying to make a trade with in the bar, get into yet another argument with Rom over wanting to marry Leeta and Nog’s decision to join Starfleet, and threaten to cut one of his dabo-girls paycheck’s because her outfit was not revealing enough.

Then, finishing the week, Odo found himself standing with Captain Sisko in his office in Ops, listening to the Captain question Quark about his latest deal and Quark’s various excuses.

“I don’t get what the big deal is, Captain. So I helped broker an exchange between the Szorian and the M’Bellian.

“They wanted Halocon-2, Quark.”

“That’s not illegal.”

“It’s a common ingredient in bio-weapons.”

“As well as many other things! Medicines, engineering, construction. It’s versatile stuff.”

“The M’Bellians have been cited repeatedly for producing bio-weapons in their civil wars.”

“This is all circumstantial. There’s no proof.”

“Maybe not, but you know the Federation has been trying to put an end to their civil war, and if unscrupulous traders stopped preying on their hatred, maybe we could. Besides, the exorbitant fee the M’Bellians were willing to pay for such a harmless item is proof enough for me, Quark, but you are correct. It’s not illegal, but I’m warning you: Don’t do this again.”

As far as Quark’s history went, this was not one of his most egregious errors. The Federation and Bajoran crew didn’t blacklist him as they had when he’d helped his cousin Gaila sell weapons, but his business did slow temporarily.

But Odo had to wonder, what was it that he saw in this person? What was this madness that kept descending upon him, making him think this relationship was viable? Because all evidence was pointing otherwise. He was the Chief of Security on this station; Quark had the longest criminal record of any permanent resident living here. And, if it wasn’t his illegal activities, Odo was continually challenged by Quark’s morals, or more specifically, his lack of morals.

A few days later after the trading incident, when business was back to usual at Quark’s, Odo met there with some of the senior staff. Dax and Bashir were giving Quark one last chastising about the deal. He knew they were waiting for Odo to join in, so he suggested, “Why don’t you give some money to the Bajoran War Orphan’s Fund, Quark? That’s what you usually do, after you’ve ruined your good name.”

“At least I have a name to ruin, Odo, and it wasn’t just a misread specimen label.” Quark shot back, with obvious venom. Dax involuntarily pulled back, while Bashir tried to smooth things over.

“Well, I guess we’ve made our point! So, we’re expecting you to do better in the future, Quark. Come along, Odo, play a round of darts with the Chief and I.”

Odo looked back as the Chief was lining up his first shot, and saw a slightly heated exchange between Dax and Quark. She walked away shaking her head, as did Quark, carrying a tray of drinks. He did not look Odo’s way, and Odo sighed.

He’d been avoiding Quark, wanting to be clearer the next time they spoke privately, but Odo realized it was time to talk.

* * *

Odo once again made a late night visit to Quark’s quarters. Hopefully, they would not be interrupted this time, but just as he’d feared, this conversation was not going well.

“Everyone and their mother has had something to say to me about this deal, and I’ve had it. But, you know what it really is? You fit right in with the Federation, don’t you, Odo? Because you like their values.

“But I’m not Federation, and I don’t get why you all hate Ferengi so much. You judge doing business for the sake of earning money as shallow, but we’re not going around decimating peoples and planets like the Federation does, justifying it in the name of ‘freedom’ and ‘honor’ or ‘peace.’

“And, you’ll abandon your precious principals when it suits you. Everyone acknowledges the Klingons are a violent and bloodthirsty race – their favorite drink is blood-wine. The Federation has fought them many times, but now that they’re your allies you extol their courage and bravery. Same with the Cardassians. They’re dictators, unless they can help you, and suddenly Garak is treated like an honorary member of Starfleet.

“Your reasons are just as selfish as the Ferengi. The only difference is, we don’t lie about why we’re doing what we’re doing. You know we’re trying to sell you things. And, they’re usually things people want. What is so bad about that?!”

Even though he could see that Quark’s feelings had been hurt, that Odo’s public teasing cut deeper now that they had been intimate, he too was taking Quark’s actions much more personally. He felt irrationally betrayed Quark had made this deal. Didn’t he understand the position he put Odo in by doing this? No, all Quark could think about was his greed.

Odo knew this was a dangerous combination; this is what had happened in his worst arguments with Dr. Mora - when they both felt hurt, misunderstood, and wronged, just as he and Quark did now. Those were the conditions under which they said things they regretted. Cruel, mean things, because they both felt those were the only weapons left available to communicate those truths that were so desperately important to them.

Unfortunately, it was already too late for Quark. He had already entered that territory, where once you start it’s difficult to stop.

“You know what, this was a bad idea, you and me. I broke my own rules. No friends, no lovers. Too much trouble, and only keep your family around to exploit them. Besides, who needs a fascist like you hounding me at every turn. Oh, what am I saying! I already had that! That’s what you’ve always done with me!”

Odo felt fire rage through his being, and he too began:

“You’re absolutely right, Quark. I must have had some temporary bout of insanity to find you attractive. This is all for the best. Obviously there is a reason you never married, a reason the longest relationship that I’ve seen you in lasted all of one week – holograms don’t count, and neither does someone you paid

“Obviously there is a reason your nephew ran off to the Starfleet you so despise. A reason you drove your brother away to work for the Bajorans – your brother, the only person in existence who actually seems to care for you. W _hy_ remains a mystery. Even your mother thinks you’re a lousy son.

“So go ahead, chase your ephemeral pleasures. And while you do, you can be absolutely sure that as long as you are on this station I will continue to hound you, monitor your every move, so you will even be denied your worthless pursuit of latinum.”

There was a small voice inside of Odo throughout. telling him he would regret this. That no matter what his and Quark’s relationship was going to be, he should not be saying these things, but he couldn’t. Something about Quark made him lose all composure, all sense of fair play, and he knew it by the look on Quark’s face, the way his jaw was set, and the cold finality in his voice.

“Get out, Odo.”


	7. Chapter 7

Quark stood behind his empty bar, cleaning up. It was after closing time, but there were two remaining customers, a pair of females using one of the holo-suites. He had knocked a few minutes ago, but got no response.

He thought of calling security, but he didn’t want to give Odo the satisfaction, because even if one of his deputies came instead, it would get back to him. Quark could imagine it now, “It must be quite galling, eh Quark? To call us for help, considering how much time you spend in our holding cells?”

No way. He’d wait. And charge them extra for going overtime. Besides, he was already waiting for Jadzia to get back to him about if she could make their regular Tongo game tonight.

He had sent the rest of his employees home – he did not want to have to pay them when he could take care of it, thanks to his foolish promise to Rom to implement, among other things, ‘fair working wages.’

Why’d he even bother? He tried to do something nice, and Rom left anyway. He sent Moogie a generous allowance, and she still tried to earn latinum. He taught Nog everything he needed to know to go into business, and he went off and joined Starfleet. Even Odo. He’d made sacrifices to try and make something work with him, but it wasn’t enough. Quark scoffed just thinking about it.

Like that deal everyone had blown completely out of proportion. Quark had had the option to make a much more profitable deal, smuggling a shipment of Hyperian crystals, an illegal substance – Quark didn’t really care, it was up to everyone what they put in their bodies, right? - but he’d chosen to broker the Halocon-2, thinking it would be less averse to Odo’s sensibilities.

No good deed goes unpunished. If he’d known it was going to turn out like this, he would have smuggled the crystals. Heck, he would have just kept Odo’s three months worth of wages and called it a day.

It had been a couple weeks since their last private meeting, and Quark had decided to pretend like it never happened. After all, that was Odo’s usual method of dealing with anything like this, and it was working out pretty well.

They engaged in a little tete-a-tete every now and then to keep the locals happy – oh, there’s the Constable and the Ferengi, what happened this time? - and Quark could move on with his life. That’s what he always did. And he had plenty to do. At least, that’s what he told himself during business hours.

He finally heard the doors to the holo-suite open. He grabbed his transaction padd and made his way towards the stars, ready to get their thumb prints on their way out to charge them for an extra half-hour, when he became aware of a few things. He was only hearing one person leaving, and that person was running, fast, and sure enough, one of the females from earlier came into view, bounding down the stairs. They spotted each other at the same time.

He saw she had something in her hand, something that she threw toward him before he could tell what it was. It burst open upon impact with his jacket, releasing a small poof of fine powder into the air, and he immediately fell into a heap on the floor.

He was aware as she grabbed him under the shoulders and dragged him behind the bar, but he couldn’t move, not even to speak. He’d heard of things like these: small range, quick acting, and most important, quick dissipating poisons. They didn’t trigger any habitat safety alarms, because that’s not what they were meant for. They were meant to harm one person only, and by the time they found said person, they were already dead.

He heard her walk away, saw the lights turn off, heard the doors to the bar shut. Trying to give herself a little bit of time, make it look like he already left. No doubt the other female was lying in a similar state as he in the holo-suite upstairs. No one would find them until morning, and he doubted they had that long. Maybe she was already dead. He wondered what it was, some deal gone wrong?

This was… unfortunate. He’d always suspected he would die in pursuit of latinum, but he’d hoped it would be for more than a half-hour’s time in a holo-suite. He wasn’t in pain, but his vision was starting to dim.

Since these were probably his last moments before entering the Divine Treasury, he reflected on his life. Here he was, on the floor of his bar, located on this Cardassian monstrosity of a space station, banned from the Ferengi Commerce Authority. Rom would inherit the bar, but he wouldn’t want it, and neither would Nog. They’d probably put his remains up for sale, and Brunt would make an offer for the whole set too good for Moogie and Rom to refuse. Brunt would then gleefully throw his desiccated remains who knows where, having achieved both of his goals: having Quark lose his business license _and_ dishonoring his remains.

He thought about the few outstanding women in his life. Natima, that lovely, amazing woman he’d had the best month of his life with. The problem was – despite their feelings for each other – in true Cardassian fashion, her life’s greatest love affair was with Cardassia itself.

Grilka, his first and only wife, if but briefly and under duress. She was a wild as they come, a true force of nature. They were all wrong for each other, but it was nice to be able to help her, and to be appreciated for it.

Pel. It seemed so ridiculous now. He was willing to give up his bar, but he hadn’t been willing to let her wear clothes. They could have had it all, love and latinum, and he threw it away.

And then there was Odo, who didn’t fit into any known category. He wasn’t sure what it was they had, or didn’t have. All he knew was that it seemed like a good idea at the time, and that that was some of the best oo-max of his life. Figures it came from the most frigid, sexless person he knew.

Oh well, he concluded, as his vision grew dim. Maybe better luck next time.

* * *

“Quark! Quark!!” His vision was fuzzy, but that was Jadzia’s voice calling out to him, roughly shaking his shoulders. Then, she switched to calling for Bashir. Where were they, what time was it? It came back to him, muddled. The two in the holo-suite, the poison. But why was she here? Oh, right. They were supposed to play Tongo tonight. Guess she decided to come after all.

He was surprised to still be alive, but however much time had elapsed, it had not helped him. He felt bad. Really bad. He could move a little bit now, but would have preferred the other state. At least that didn’t hurt. Though there was something comforting about Jadzia’s presence.

She wasn’t that much like a Ferengi, but she appreciated the hustle of the deal, and he’d long greeted and departed from her in the traditional Ferengi way. Eh, maybe that was more a testament to his own homesickness than it was to Jadzia, but either way, she was the best this station had to offer in terms of Ferengi companionship.

He knew she’d often been criticized by her fellow officers for socializing with him – Worf especially, now that they were seeing each other – yet she still came, and to show his thanks, he decided to greet her one last time, pulling his wrists together and curling his fingers inward. He hoped she would understand, but instead she looked at him in disbelief, then with a true fury.

“Dammit, Quark. Do _not_ pull that melodrama with me. What were you expecting, a goodbye kiss? A tearful confession of my deeply held lust for you? Well, guess again. You are not dying. You got yourself into this, and you are going to get yourself out, you hear me? You are not dying.” she repeated for emphasis, then turned clicking her com-badge. “Julian! Where are you?”

Quark wasn’t sure. It really felt like he was dying, as his vision started to fade again and his wrists fell back toward the ground. And the sad part was everyone was going to believe he got himself killed, but this time he really hadn’t.

To misquote Jadzia’s beloved Klingons, _This was a bad day to die_.


	8. Chapter 8

When Odo was called in about a disturbance at Quark’s, he wasn’t sure what to expect, though of course his first thought was that Quark himself had done something, and the track record backed him up, especially when he learned it occurred after business hours. He was instructed to come to sick bay, where he met with Commander Dax.

“I don’t know what he got into this time, Constable, but we’ve got him and one other victim. They’re both unconscious. Quark was behind the bar, she was up in the holo-suite. Quark didn’t tell me anything, he stirred when I shook him, but he passed out soon after. Julian’s in there with them now.”

Odo checked Quark’s limited security footage. “People come here to relax, not to worry about being caught on camera. It’s bad for business.” he had told Odo irritably, when questioned about it. When he went to Captain Sisko about it, he sighed but said it was Quark’s private business, and they could not force him to put in more security cameras, “No matter how much I may agree with you.” he added, with a knowing smile.

Sure enough, the available footage was inconclusive. His main suspect was just a shadow of someone leaving the bar. It wasn’t enough to make an identification. And he wasn’t even sure where the someone went. Odo returned to sickbay and told Dax what he’d found, and then together they met with Doctor Bashir.

“It appears to be a poison, though it’s not one I’ve seen before. The woman is doing better than Quark, I don’t know why. I suspect she will make a full recovery, but she is still unconscious at the moment.”

“And Quark?” Odo asked.

The doctor sighed. “I tried to flush his system of it, but his body has already absorbed it, and my efforts at neutralizing it haven’t worked either. Quark has on occasion proven to have a strong immune response, but I’m afraid there isn’t much more I can do for him. We’ll have to wait it out, but…”

“But?” questioned Dax.

“Could one of you wake Rom? I tried to get through to him, but he didn’t answer.” answered Bashir.

“Just to make sure I’m understanding you: It’s serious enough that Rom needs to come right now?” Dax clarified.

“Yes.” the doctor answered solemnly.

“Dammit, because the last thing I said to Quark, well, let’s just say it’s not the last thing you want to say to someone.” shared Dax sadly.

_Funny_ , Odo thought to himself, as she left to fetch Rom, _That makes two of us._

* * *

Rom was chattering away to Quark, who had yet to wake, when Odo was called in the next day by Doctor Bashir to speak with the woman who was found in the holosuite. She was awake and ready to answer some questions. Her name was Skelx.

“I am the Chief of Security of this station. Would you describe to me what happened?” Odo asked.

“Well, I was meeting up with a business associate. We were were going to make a trade – a private affair which, I checked, is not outlawed on this station. We were arguing over the price for awhile, but eventually she decided to poison me and run off with all my merchandise. Can you believe that? What nerve. I didn’t think the product was worth that, but apparently she thought otherwise.

“The next thing I know, I woke up here.”

Odo asked her a few more questions, but it seemed unlikely that she poisoned herself and Quark, and he didn’t have the sense that she was trying to cover for the other person either. It was not illegal to make private transactions on the station, and she had no illegal items on her person.

She was quite disappointed that Odo had not caught the other woman, and Odo decided he believed her story. He asked for a description of the culprit, but she said the person wore a low hood and she didn’t get a good look at her. She gave Odo what she could, he told her she had the right to press charges if they found the culprit, but he suspected this person was long gone by now.

Odo called the doctor in, let him know he was finished, but the doctor asked him to stay a moment, as he asked. “Skelx, I am curious. There was another person poisoned, and you have recovered but he hasn’t.”

“Oh, I can explain that. My people are pretty resistant to most poisons. That one was quite a doozy, to knock me out the way it did. Who’s the other poor sucker?”

“The bartender.”

“The Ferengi? Yeah, he knocked on the door; we ran over on our time in the holo-suite. She must have got him on her way out. That’s a shame. I’m sorry someone else got caught up in this. I’m impressed he’s still alive, but give my regards to his family, would ya? I doubt he’ll be much longer.”

Odo did pass her regards on to Rom, who he chatted with on his way out, but decided to leave out the last bit. “I called Moogie – I mean, Quark and I’s mother – and guess what? She said she’s on her way!”

“Rom, aren’t females barred from leaving Ferenginar?”

“Yes! I don’t know how she’s going to do it, but she said she has some big news. And that she wants to see the bar. I’m… sort of scared, but sort of excited too! It will be fun to show Moogie around. I told Brother about it. So, he has something to look forward to. And if that doesn’t work, and he’s outraged over it, maybe that will wake him up just the same!”

That was like Rom, to look on the bright side of things, and Odo had to admit the idea of meeting Quark’s mother was a fascinating one.


	9. Chapter 9

Sound he couldn’t make sense of. Light he couldn’t make sense of. His body hurt, and he was so tired. When Quark finally came to, it felt like something he had attempted many times before and failed. He only had a vague sense of where he was. Some sort of medical facility. A male hu-man in a Starfleet uniform came in, speaking in a voice that was much too loud. Everything was too loud in here.

“Quark! Thank goodness! How are you feeling?”

He was waiting for something to make sense, but nothing was. He couldn’t remember why he was here, and he wasn’t sure he trusted this hu-man, with his overly cheerful expression. And, he was looking at him like he expected something. When he made a move to examine him, Quark bared his teeth and hissed at him.

Just leave me alone. Just turn down the lights and leave me alone, he thought to himself, but this hu-man insisted on bothering him.

“Quark, talk to me. Can you talk to me?”

“What...want?”

The doctor looked puzzled. “To help you, Quark. To help you.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a doctor, and that’s what I do. Quark… do you know who I am?”

“No.”

“I’m Doctor Bashir.”

… Didn’t recognize him.

“Quark, hold on for just a moment.”

Quark closed his eyes. Tuned the hu-man out as he was talking to someone. At least he wasn’t bothering him anymore. He rested until he heard a voice speaking his language.

“Uncle Quark!”

Opened his eyes. A Ferengi standing there, in a Starfleet uniform. Was this a joke? The hu-man made another move toward him. Hissed at him again. Why wouldn’t these people leave him alone?

“Quark, you recognize your nephew, don’t you?” What kind of sick plot were they enacting here?

“No.” 

“Doctor, what’s wrong with him?”

“His system is very stressed. He’s confused.”

Stressed from what. This made no sense. Someone else burst in. Finally, Little Brother.

“Brother!”

“Tell them… leave me alone.”

“Father, he doesn’t know who we are.”

“He doesn’t? Brother, do you know who I am?”

“...Idiot.”

“He does know me! Brother, I can’t tell them to leave you alone. Doctor Bashir is taking care of you. And Nog’s my son, your nephew.”

“Maybe best not to overload him at the moment. I just want to get a sensor scan, see if there’s anything that I can give him to support him at the moment, but he keeps hissing at me.”

“Brother, no hissing! Try again, Doctor.”

The hu-man moved toward him. Hissed at him, again.

“Brother! Doctor, could I do the scan?” After another brief exchange he tuned out, Little Brother came over, hissed at him, but he got the scan anyway. Huh, it didn’t hurt.

“Rest, Brother.” That’s what he’d been trying to do, he thought, as he closed his eyes, this time drifting off to sleep once again.

* * *

Woke up again. Little Brother sitting by. Bad pain. _Bad pain_. Worse than before. Why were they torturing him like this. Couldn’t speak. Gestured to write. Little Brother got a pad. Wrote, ‘Let me go.’ He said no. Heard him say: “This is my payback, Brother. For everything you’ve put me through. Just like when Brunt hired those thugs to beat you up.”

If he was not going to let him go, he better hold on to him, and he reached out for the idiot’s hand. He reached back.

* * *

Can overhear Rom talking. Moogie’s talking too. With the Constable. Must be imagining it.

“So, what did my son do this time?”

“Moogie, can’t that wait?”

“I just want someone to sympathize with me about how hard it was raising Quark! And from what you told me, this man can. Just imagine how much trouble he has caused you, and then picture, even for a moment, what it was like to be his mother.

“I should have known he was going to difficult. In fact I did, but I ignored my intuition because I was so in love with your father, but the pregnancy was difficult, the birth was difficult. He was a miserable baby, kept me up at all hours of the night.

“He was so trying I almost refused to have another child, but, like I said, I was very much in love with your father and he wanted another. Lucky for me I listened, because then I gave birth to this sweet soul. Moogie loves you, Rommie-kins!”

“Aww, Moogie!”

Wondered why he didn’t imagine a more flattering conversation. And probably imagined the next part too, when the Constable came in alone to see him.

“Quark… Get better.”

* * *

And he did. After many days passed. Incoherently, excruciatingly. A few moments of clarity, comprehending the voices and faces of people around him, but mostly not. Mercifully dropping into unconsciousness, only to wake feeling less rested than before. Just trying to weather the storm.

Yet he did get better. The confusion passed, the pain became tolerable, the sounds and sights around him formed into something he could understand again. He was able to have brief conversations with people, eat some solid food, and take his first shaky steps around sickbay.

“Congratulations, Quark! You’re clear to go!” said Doctor Bashir happily, as Quark wearily sat on the edge of the bio-bed.

He was lucky to be alive. The Doctor told him so, but he knew it too by the way his body felt. He currently felt terrible, which was multitudes better than how he had felt.

The story of him hissing at the Doctor had made its rounds around the station, to the crew’s amusement – he guessed they found it funny now that he wasn’t dying – as had the news that Moogie was seeing the Grand Nagus, and he had made it possible for her to come to Deep Space Nine. He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.

Moogie and the Nagus headed on home after he was discharged from sick-bay, having seen him through the worst of it. He briefly popped into the bar, where he received wishes for a speedy recovery, but the Doctor advised him to take some time off to rest. Not that he needed to be advised, he couldn’t have worked if he wanted to. He was debilitatingly tired, so his quarters were where he stayed. And after this whole poisoning business, well, he was more shaken than he cared to admit. It had been a nightmare, a nightmare maze of delirium, exhaustion, and pain. And that was just what he could remember.

He missed working, the energy of the crowd, the excitement of having a deal in the making. Rom and Nog were overseeing the bar for him in his absence. Moogie helped him, and – adding insult to injury – they together turned a better profit than he ever had. So much for being a great businessman – he already knew Moogie could make more money than him, now he knew she could also run his bar better.

And who knew what kind of opportunities Moogie would get now that she was seeing the Nagus. What a pair they were, head over heels in love with each other. Add that to Rom and Leeta’s talks of getting married. Nog was still besotted with Starfleet of course.

It was… humbling. He wouldn’t have approved of any of it, but it was happening and he couldn’t do a thing to stop it. And they were all happy as could be. Strange, how life turned out.

He was shuffling around his quarters, needing a change of pace from sitting late one night when he heard the door bell. He called out “Enter,” without bothering to turn around. The Doctor checked in, but he did so earlier in the day. The only one who would come by now was Rom, but when Quark turned around to greet him, he froze. It wasn’t Rom; it was Odo.

Odo asked if he could come in, but Quark could tell it was just a formality. He was coming in no matter what Quark said. Quark nodded, and he stepped purposefully inside and the doors closed behind him while Quark tried to gauge why he was here.

His body language gave nothing away. He stood erect as usual, head held high, hands clasped behind his back looking straight at him, and Quark felt his stomach drop away. He was not up for this; he didn’t have the reserves to go to bat with Odo right now, whether it was a legal charge or their personal business. But, he had no intention of showing that, as he relaxed his posture as best he could, and smoothly asked, “What brings you here tonight, Constable?”


	10. Chapter 10

Things were settling down on the station. Though Odo never did catch who was responsible for the poisonings, the presence of the Quark’s mother and the Grand Nagus on the station had brought some much needed fun, just as Dax had noted about the Ferengi earlier.

He enjoyed meeting Ishka. She gave him hope for the future of Ferenginar, and despite her complaining, he saw much of her in her first born – their hand gestures and facial expressions, even the red tinge around their eyes.

It seemed the station as a whole breathed a sigh of relief at the news that Quark would make a full recovery. Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone, and as troublesome as Quark often was, his bar was the heart of Deep Space Nine – not just as a gathering place, but because of Quark himself. Spirits were noticeably higher after he left sickbay.

And Odo was no exception. He’d been doing a lot of thinking about the bartender. About what had been – and what could be – between them. And, being himself, he went about that very methodically.

He started with their last big argument, in Quark’s quarters. Odo could acknowledge that some of what Quark said rang true. He _did_ value some cultures over others, and he _did_ believe war in the name of freedom was more noble than the Ferengi’s claimed reason for existence. But he also knew that the Ferengi – as they all were – were more complicated than that. To say any species was all about one thing was putting too fine a point on it.

He also saw that traversing into romantic territory with Quark had its risks, in that they reverted to how they normally spoke with each other: a few rare moments of honesty amongst a whole lot of arguing, teasing, and insults.

Odo already knew the main basis of their arguments was their differing philosophies, but there was more to it. There was a carelessness about the way he treated Quark. He was needlessly abrasive, egging Quark on, because a fight with him was often a quick way to blow off steam, or even more shamefully, a way to feel powerful, by pressuring Quark and putting him on the defensive.

Some of what they talked about did seem untraversable. He _was_ the Chief of Security, and he did have beliefs about order and law. And Quark… Quark’s ideas about the law were flexible, to say the least. But, after seeing Quark lying in sick bay, eyes closed, breath shallow, and his skin a disturbing ash, Odo knew he had taken Quark’s presence, even as a thorn in his side, for granted.

Odo had long thought of himself as the ultimate outsider. He was interested in the world, that was why he decided to take on a humanoid shape in the first place, yet he had tolerated it at best. Instead, he mostly fought it, trying to mold, even a small corner of it, into something that aligned with his own beliefs. Yet, the more he interacted with the world the more it changed him.

Learning to communicate with Dr. Mora, acting as an investigator for the Cardassians, eventually moving up to Chief of Security, his relationships with his fellow officers – each had taught him valuable lessons, lessons that helped him in his dealings with all the manner of people and races he met with on any given day on Deep Space Nine. They all had different backgrounds, agendas, and beliefs, nevertheless they still managed to find some common ground, some middle path.

Surely, he and Quark could a middle path, but what did Odo want that middle path to look like? Did he want them to be less adversarial, kinder to each other in their everyday dealings, or did he want a romance?

Actually, that wasn’t quite it. Rather, the final question was: Was he willing to attempt a romance again? Because, he already knew the desire was still there, despite the bitterness. A friendship was easier, a romance was daunting. That was the final question. Was he willing to try?

Quark had often been left in disbelief that he could not tempt Odo to buy any of his various wares. How fitting, Odo chuckled, that what he now wanted was Quark himself. He decided, just as he had been influenced by those around him, he would take a page out of Quark’s book. He would pursue what he desired. And to do that, he needed to speak with Quark.

Which is how he found himself standing in front of Quark’s quarters; after another late night stroll through the deserted corridors of Deep Space Nine. He rang the bell, the doors opened, and there stood Quark in his pajamas.

Quark looked momentarily surprised, but recovered quickly, letting Odo in and greeting him just as he would have at the bar.

“What brings you here tonight, Constable?”

“To see you.” Odo knew if there was any chance of this working, he needed to be straight-forward.

“I’m not in any trouble, am I? You know I’ve been in sickbay for the last week or so.” Quark replied lightly.

“No, this is a personal visit. How are you feeling?”

Quark was confused, but Odo stayed firm to his plan. No sarcasm, no diversions. Not tonight.

“Well, I’ve been better. But, this sure beats how I felt a few days ago.”

“Hmm.” Odo nodded, paused for a moment, then continued. “May I sit down?”

Quark looked at him warily, but nodded, and they sat down on the couch together, both no doubt remembering what had happened the last time they were sitting here.

“Quark, I would like to… apologize, for what I said before.”

Quark stared at him for a moment, before sighing and looking up towards the ceiling.

“Odo, if... this is some kind of guilty thing because I almost died, don’t bother. You… were right, okay? What you said is the truth, what I said is the truth, so let’s just leave it at that.”

“But it’s not the whole truth, Quark. It’s only part of it. It’s like... if you only judged a planet by its night cycle, without ever seeing its morning. It didn’t take into account the fact that I care for you, and we would never even be in this situation if we didn’t care for each other.”

Quark paused, before responding wearily, “That may be true, but… it’s always raining on Ferenginar. And it’s always going to be. You get what I’m trying to say? This… we’re never going to be able to resolve this, Odo. So, go back to pining for the Major – I’m sure she’ll come around one day. Just forget this ever happened.”

Odo took a moment to recollect himself. He had not envisioned this response from Quark, because quite frankly, it was difficult to imagine Quark turning down an offer. Even from his business standpoint, being in a relationship with the Chief of Security could have its benefits. And Quark always espoused the virtues of going after what you want – going after _who_ you want – yet now endorsed dropping the whole thing? Why? There was something he was not saying, and Odo – ever the investigator – wanted to know what it was.

“See, your silence proves that you know I’m right, so if you don’t mind, can we just agree to be done with it? I’d like to get to bed.”

“I wouldn’t mind continuing this discussion in bed.” The genuine shock on Quark’s face was something to see, though that response had come out so fast he couldn’t say he planned it. Well, everyone _was_ always telling him to loosen up,go with the flow.

“Odo, I know those aren’t real ears, but didn’t you hear me?”

“I heard you. I just don’t believe you.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I don’t believe what you’re saying. You’re always negotiating and maneuvering to get what you want. You came to me twice about this, and yet now you expect me to believe you’re giving up? Just like that? If it’s true, then say it. Tell me you _want_ me to leave.”

“I…” Quark started, then didn’t finish.

“Yes?” Odo prompted, feeling it critical not to let up now.

Then, to Odo’s surprise, Quark started to laugh. But it was a bitter laugh.

“You know, I did this same thing to Natima. You remember her? The Cardassian woman I dated during the Occupation,and she came back to the station a few years ago. I thought that was our big chance to be together, to rekindle the spark. I kept going after her, but she kept turning me down, saying she didn’t care about me anymore. That was then, this is now, that sort of thing. But, finally, _finally_ I got her to admit she did still care about me, and I was so relieved, because I _knew_ it, and I just wanted to hear her say it.

“Even though she was angry at me, I think she was trying to spare me too – that it would be easier if I thought she didn’t care – because she knew she wasn’t going to stay. Heck, she was probably trying to spare herself too. Just keep moving, stay focused, don’t think about what could have been.

“I thought I could change her mind though, get her to stay. Then, I thought I could make a deal to get her to stay, but that didn’t work either. She still left. I’m glad we had that time, but it still hurt to see her go.

“So… yeah, Odo, I want you to stay. I don’t know if it’s going to do any good or where to go from here, but I want you to stay.”

“Well, I can think of at least one thing.” Odo replied, then leaned forward and quickly kissed him. Quark’s response was not exactly what he had been hoping for. He wasn’t entirely reciprocating, but he wasn’t entirely _not_ reciprocating either.

Odo let it be for a moment, to give Quark a chance to make up his mind, but when nothing changed, Odo found it disturbing. This was ambiguous, undecided; so unlike Quark.

Nevertheless, Odo knew this was the time. Quark often held court, telling tales about his various business deals, and he so often emphasized the timing, the correct pressure at the correct moment, otherwise you might not close the deal, and that is how Odo felt now.

This was their chance, he just needed to make Quark see that, and Odo wrapped his hand around Quark’s shoulder pulling him close, held the side of his face with the other and kissed him again. And when that also failed to deliver the response he wanted, he growled low in frustration, pressing even harder into him. To goad him on, equal parts pushing and pleading, _Come on, Quark. Don’t give up now._

He heard Quark’s yelp of surprise – at least that was something. There was one more pause, a pause that seemed to go of forever until finally he felt Quark relax and lean against him, and Odo was satisfied, even when Quark started to pull away. He did not go far, only away so far as to lean his head against Odo’s shoulder.

And Odo was struck with how heavily Quark rested against him and how awkwardly he was holding himself upright. He was even slightly out of breath, and Odo chided himself. He’d been so focused on coming in here and saying what he needed to say that he’d failed to remember the obvious. Yes, Quark was up and walking, conversing, and his skin had lost that terrible grey pallor, but he was exhausted, still drained from his ordeal in sick-bay.

“You’re tired.” he acknowledged gently.

“I’m fine.” Quark replied, somewhat irritatedly. While Odo was relieved to see Quark’s typical stubbornness, he was eyeing Quark’s bedroom.

“You should lay down.”

“I’m tired of laying down. All I do is lay down nowadays.”

“I’ll join you.”

“...Really?”

“Yes.”

Quark rose first, and started walking towards his bedroom, Odo following close behind. He’d never actually been back here before, but it looked pretty much like everyone else’s quarters on board. He noted some padds stacked on his nightstand, and that the bed was made. There were a few personal touches – Odo would have thought Quark’s quarters would be decorated quite lavishly, but in truth they were tidy and on the sparse side. Maybe because he spent so much of his time at the bar.

Quark commanded the computer to turn the lights off after they had settled. Odo waited for Quark’s breathing to fall into a sleep pattern, but it did not. In the dim light he saw Quark staring up at the ceiling.

“Odo?” Quark whispered.

“Hmm.”

“It’s… been a long time since I’ve done this.”

“Done what?”

“Shared a bed like this. You know… with a lover.”

In some ways, Odo was surprised, and in some ways he wasn’t. Quark was no celibate, but – as Odo had cruelly pointed out to him – none of his relations had much sentiment to them. They were either brief whirlwinds of activity, or casual, business-like affairs. Neither would involve lying in bed merely to be with each other as they doing. In all honesty, there was only one person Odo could imagine Quark having done this with.

“Natima?”

“...Yeah.”

Pillow talk was a concept he had heard about, but before Arissa, he hadn’t really understood why anyone would feel more comfortable sharing things in bed than anywhere else. Even though he wasn’t humanoid, there was something about lying down, with the lights dim, sharing a blanket that made him feel calmer, more willing to share things he wouldn’t normally otherwise.

“I’ve only done this with Arissa.”

“Looks like you’ve downgraded, then. She was gorgeous.”

It… wasn’t as strange as he thought it would be, to talk of past relationships with Quark. Whenever Major Kira was concerned, he hated hearing about Shakaar or Bareil or even witnessing the number of men on any given day sending her appreciative looks.

With Quark, it seemed matter of fact, as simple as acknowledging ‘Yes, that happened.’ Much of the emotion was taken out of it, and that was what disturbed him about Quark’s last statement, that he _had_ said it so matter of factly. He really did believe what he was saying. He was used to Quark overbrimming with confidence, not… this, and Odo knew Quark was not convinced. ‘Negotiations’ would have to continue, but another time.

He had suggested this so Quark would relax, and to that end, he diverted him with something he was sure would pique his interest.

“I did do something comparable with my people on my home-world.”

“Going into that ocean?”

“That ocean _is_ my people.”

“...Right.”

“But, that’s not what I meant.” Odo turned to Quark, who was lying on his back with his hands on his chest. He covered one of Quark’s hands with his own then let it revert to his natural plasma state, sending a gentle charge of energy through. He didn’t linger long, forming his hand solid once again, then waited for Quark’s response.

“Wow, no wonder your people go on and on about the Great Link.” Quark muttered, with a hint of awe in his voice.

“Hmm.” Odo murmured in agreement.

“Must be fun. Changing your shape.” Quark mused sleepily.

“It is.” Odo replied fondly. “Rest now. I’ll stay as long as I can.”


	11. Chapter 11

Quark slowly raised his head from his pillow, disoriented from sleep, feeling forgetful. Wasn’t there something important he had to do? The bar? No, he’d been poisoned, wasn’t working right now, that’s why he was still so tired. Any side deals in the works? No…

Odo. That was it. Odo was here when he fell asleep. Was he still? He didn’t hear anything. Quark reached out, only to find no one there. Just him, and a keen sense of disappointment washed over him.

He checked the time. It was halfway through the next cycle. What was he expecting? He knew Odo was on duty. Still, this scene was playing out a little too much like that morning on Klaris for his liking. The disorientation, though it had been worse that morning. Where was he, with strange jungle noises outside. The sense he had forgotten something significant.

Then, it coming back to him as he sat up in the bed, looking around the hotel suite that was similar to but not quite the same as his, his clothes scattered on the floor. Started to remember how they had gotten there, and realizing his ‘partner’ was nowhere to be found.

Yes, that had been a strange morning. Quark did call out for him, in case he was resting in one of the decorative vases in the room. Or _was_ one of the decorative vases in the room. He got no answer, so he dressed and left for his own suite.

He had still held hope that maybe Odo was walking it off, thinking things over and they’d meet up later. Admittedly, it was a lot to take in, and it was still a lot to take in, as Quark reminisced.

He had stayed around the party for awhile, enjoying the food and drink, but near the end everyone was talking about the smoke plumes he couldn’t see and the aromatic herbs he couldn’t smell and other sensory perceptions so he’d wandered off. Take a walk, go to sleep, then leave tomorrow. Not a bad deal, all in all.

However, as he strolled, the much talked about smoke plumes appeared in his vision, the scent of the burning herbs began wafting by. He finally understood why everyone was so excited back there. It felt good, _great_ , gave him the feeling of being glad to be alive. He was perceiving everything with rose colored glasses. The spectacular foliage, the roar of the night insects, the flower fragrances drifting through the air, the echo of the priestess chanting, “Love yourself.” Yeah, that wasn’t too difficult when you felt like this.

Then, Quark had an inspired thought. If he was now effected, maybe Odo was as well, and he decided to seek him out. Maybe not the most sound logic, but at that moment it was hard to care. He checked along the walking paths. Odo was not there, however he did run across a few happy couples, enjoying the romance of the night, as the priestess’ echo changed to “Love each other.”

Again, he thought, no problems loving everybody when you’re feeling like this, in surroundings like these, and he did feel extra fond of everyone: The Klarisians, the people back on Deep Space Nine, the Bajorans, the Federation, even the Klingons were seeming more likable. This would be great for his business, he mused; the spirit moving people to show their affection for each other, with drinks, food, desserts, time in the holo-suites together…

Still, Quark wanted to find Odo and the more he searched, the more he wanted to find him. It felt important, as he walked back to the hotel, hugely important, as he climbed the stairs, that Odo be here, that he see him.

He rapped on the door, called out his name, and was so relieved when he heard Odo walking inside the suite to answer. And once Odo opened the door, the plumes became more intricately blended, the drum beat kicked up, and suddenly everything had so much _meaning._

Because, _e_ _verything_ had lined up for this moment in space and time: His decision to set up shop on the space station formerly known as Terok Nor; Odo’s people setting him adrift as a baby and being picked up by the Bajorans; their constantly being at odds, leading to their getting to know each other; Captain Sisko stopping him from leaving the station after it changed hands by first putting Nog in a holding cell, then finding the wormhole, changing everything. The same Captain Sisko who insisted Quark accompany them to Klaris.

And he was so happy, to be here right now, to have met Odo, because for some reason, none of their feuding and squabbling seemed to bother him much right now. He just saw Odo, his proud and elegant exterior masking the enormous inner reserves it must have taken to make his way not knowing where he came from or who he was. The respect and admiration Odo had universally won from his colleagues for his remarkable doggedness and determination, the safety and comfort he provided to everyone living on Deep Space Nine. The dry wit and depth of caring Quark had witnessed from him in quieter moments.

And he had been right, when Odo confirmed he was feeling the effects of the ceremony. Quark _had_ been right to come here. And he could see it in his eyes, Odo was happy to see him too, and why not? Why couldn’t they stop this farce that they didn’t like each other? Why’d they have to keep covering it up with arguments and lies? It was such a relief to just admit it, and to know that Odo felt the same, so why not enjoy each other’s company for a change? Were they always going to be stuck in the clash: Odo the law and he the law breaker?

Then he heard the priestess one last time, “There are no limits.” and it was a revelation. They _didn’t_ , they didn’t have to do this anymore, as he stepped toward Odo, and he realized the spark that existed between them, though his body was once step ahead of him, already reaching out to touch. And Quark was terribly mad at himself, a great opportunity had been under his nose for who knows how long and he was only now aware of it. He’d been missing out on the chance to see that knowing, acknowledging grin on Odo’s face, to feel Odo wind his arm around his shoulders, and bend his head low to match his.

Really, they should have done this a long time ago, Better late than never he supposed, sighing to himself, as the drum beat grew louder, as the swirling plumes took on even grander and more magnificent colors, and the intoxicating scent of the incense took all his remaining cares and worries away…

* * *

...Only to be left empty handed, yet hopeful in the dawn of the new day. After all, unexpected profit was the best profit of all, and Quark wasn’t about to give up so easily.

So he went about his morning, all the while waiting to see if Odo would contact him. Washed up, changed his clothes, ate breakfast. No Odo. That was all right. It was too soon to call, and Odo not acknowledging him at the farewell meeting didn’t mean anything. Why would he bring it up there?

He was encouraged by what he learned from the rest of their party during their discussion on the Defiant. It wasn’t just some… aphrodisiac incense they’d all inhaled. Good, that proved what he already knew: It wasn’t random.

Odo avoided him on Deep Space Nine but Quark wasn’t too put off. He knew Odo was a grumpy guy, knew he needed a lot of time to process things. It was kind of nice, actually, to not have Odo harassing him at every turn. In fact, kissing Odo was a whole lot more enjoyable than their arguing had ever been. If only he could get Odo to see it that way...

He was irritated when Odo paid him off, that that was Odo’s first acknowledgement of what happened. His hope started faltering then, but he didn’t want to call it quits just yet. Not before he’d made a move of his own. It was challenging to get anything in motion, with Odo resolutely refusing to speak with him anymore than was necessary. Hence, why he had to get creative and ‘invite himself’ into Odo’s quarters.

That had been more nerve-wracking than he thought. It was always a tricky part of wheeling and dealing – push too hard and you could lose the deal, but wait too long and you could lose it just the same – and he wondered, maybe he’d timed it wrong. Waited too long to do something. That it wasn’t fresh enough anymore. But, he said what he wanted to say, albeit not as smoothly as he imagined, but he tried, and he could feel good about that. Still, he knew it was done after that, when Odo made no move to communicate with him. Time to drop it. No matter how disappointed he was.

When his doors opened that next night and Odo was standing there, Quark figured it was only to tell him off – either for barging in or for what he said, or both, depending on how irritated Odo was today. Quark tried to save some face, move on to new things, but to his astonishment, Odo kissed him. He was cautiously optimistic, because if Odo was playing hard to get, he was playing _really_ hard to get.

But it was so far so good, as they kept kissing. He hadn’t been expecting the oo-max. It had been a long time since he’d had anyone do that so intimately, face to face, not since Natima. He was a bit taken aback actually, how intense it was, but, this was good right? It was what he’d wanted...

...Until Major Kira called. Seemed like a bad omen that it was her. Reminded him how Odo had been watching her for years. Made him question what Odo was doing in his quarters anyway. Maybe he’d just wanted to be wanted for a change.

Then, Odo and the rest of the crew gave him hell over that Halocon-2 deal. What hypocrisy. Like they were the moral authority of the galaxy. The Hu-mans and the Bajorans and the Cardassians and the Klingons and the Dominion were all just as bloodthirsty as each other. And whenever he tried to point this out, he’d get some smart come-back about how the Ferengi were just content to bathe in their latinum and degrade their females.

Yes, the females weren’t equal, but that’s how it was. They weren’t barbarians. The females were taken care of. They were fed, kept warm, entertained, found husbands. How was that worse than investing huge supplies of time and money into tools for war – training soldiers, creating weapons, building fleets of warships – then both condemning and respecting anyone who did the same?

Quark had waited all that time for Odo to do something, he did, and this is what he did right after? No, that was it. He was done. And Odo agreed.

...Until he almost died. Standing in the bar one moment, fighting for his life the next. Just like that. Not knowing his lobes from his toes, space station from planet, or the day of the week. Wondering, in his few clear moments, what was going to happen to him, if this room was going to be the last place he saw.

Turned out it wasn’t. Instead, he became intimately acquainted with the ceiling and walls and floors of his bedroom and the various station noises he normally tuned out. He was stable, but rattled, far more than he wanted to admit, even to himself. Even though he felt better than he had, he still didn’t feel good. His endurance was running low.

Then Odo came by. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be great, but he was curious, and it _was_ nice to see someone, after being cooped up in his quarters for so long, so he let him in. At first, Quark didn’t believe him. He’d seen this happen all the time. Yeah, sometimes a near-death woke people up to their true feelings, but just as often he’d seen people get back together when they really should have just stayed broken up. The rush of emotions, it confused people.

And Odo wasn’t used to emotions, and that’s what was happening. He was really just trying to… say he was sorry that this had happened. They shouldn’t be together. Nothing had changed. They were still going to get into the same arguments and disagreements they always had. But Odo kept pushing it, and Quark was tired, and it felt good, so he went along with it.

Oh well. He’d done his part. He’d tried to make Odo see sense, but Odo was just as stubborn as he always was. And, like he said, it was nice, for the time being. It would probably end when he started working at the bar again, that was his bet. Odo would come back to himself, realize what Quark had already realized, it would break up, things would go back to usual. It would be a little awkward, but it would go back to normal.

So, might as well enjoy it for the moment, even if it was only a fantasy. But, wasn’t it always a fantasy? After all, Quark’s whole business was fantasy. That’s what the bar was. A place to forget your troubles and cares for awhile, be with your friends, dream about winning big at the dabo tables while being attended on by his beautiful dabo girls. Feel a little more confident, a little more fun with the help of some alcohol. The holo-suites of course were total illusions.

Basically, he was trying to convince people that if they bought what he was selling, they would be happy. Or powerful, or successful, or whatever it was they wanted at the time.

So, he’d gotten caught up in it last night, the fantasy, but he wouldn’t again. It was a bad investment after all. And why expend energy to end something that would end all on its own.

With that decided, he waited. And slept. And waited some more, with very few interruptions. The doctor stopped in to give him a few encouraging words. Rom and Nog told him things were alright at the bar, and to hurry up and get better, because they had other things they wanted to be doing.

Odo would stop by late in the night. They usually sat on the couch for awhile. Odo would tell him about his day. Quark appreciated the visits, the warm smiles he received that he returned, the arm around his shoulder, the occasional kissing, and as the evenings wore on, he found himself looking forward to hearing the door chime and Odo stepping inside in his ridiculously bland uniform, at least by Ferengi standards, and his swept back blond hair.

He’d send Odo out when he wanted to go to sleep. It worked for both of them – he knew Odo liked to practice his shapeshifting, and like he said, he wasn’t looking to drag this out any longer than necessary.

It all sounded good in his head, but when it wasn’t so easy to believe, during the seemingly endless hours recuperating alone, he would ask the computer to play rain sounds, and let his thoughts drift. Though Ferenginar’s constant precipitation and humidity were often a nuisance – maybe that was why no off worlders had ever gone out of their way to conquer it – he found he missed it, particularly the sound. It was the background rhythm of his whole life: waking up, eating meals, walking through the streets, playing with Rom, going to sleep. It brought back a lot of memories.

His father’s Tongo gatherings were some of his favorites. Even though his father wasn’t very good, he enjoyed it, and Quark would make Rom watch with him from afar. It always looked so fun, and sometimes his father let them sit beside him at the table. Moogie would serve appetizers. They’d all been so happy. At least, he thought they’d been, until he learned later that Moogie wanted a different life for herself. So did Rom. And then, after he grew up, so did Nog.

He sighed. He’d put the rain on to be soothed by it, remember his roots. Instead he was reminded of how Starfleet’s ideals had saturated his family, his whole life – slowly, insidiously – without him even realizing it, blending until he couldn’t find where one started and one began: the help they provided to reopen the bar after he lost everything; the free medical care he had just received; the level of safety they maintained on the station. Moogie had somehow gotten his business license restored, as a get-well present, but when he was without it, he’d depended on Starfleet’s business more than ever.

Then, his thoughts returned to Odo. They’d been making deals with each other since the very beginning. Odo let him keep his smaller operations going because he knew Quark heard things he would never hear otherwise. Odo and Starfleet had dropped charges against him plenty of times in exchange for his cooperation. He’d even helped Odo go undercover before. All these borders and boundaries he’d put up, maybe they had never really existed at all.

This wasn't the direction he wanted to be moving in. He’d already determined this was a bad investment, he didn’t need hope that maybe it wasn’t. “It’s always raining on Fereninar. You get what I’m trying to say?” his own voice echoed in his mind. Amidst the steady patter of recorded rain and the din of his quarters, his confusion swirled.

* * *

Soon, but not soon enough, he did start to feel better. Enough to start working part-time, then full time. Rom and Nog were happy they didn’t have to juggle their regular jobs with the bar anymore. It was good to see everyone again. Morn talked his ear off about what he had missed. He received many congratulations on his recovery, the senior officers included, though they couldn’t help but jest that now Odo would have a busy schedule again. That was okay; they rang up quite a tab that night.

And, just as he thought, when they were both working, he and Odo saw less of each other. A few brief conversations at the bar, maybe a quick hello after hours, but that was it. It was fading. To be safe, he toed the line. Let whatever they had fade completely before he really got back to business. It would only take a little longer.

Though he was surprised; he had thought once he returned to the bar, he’d feel fine, yet he did not. There remained a listlessness from his recuperation, an uncertainty he couldn’t quite reconcile.

He had enough energy to get through the day. His heart wasn’t really in it, but all this was so familiar to him it was easy enough to go through the motions: taking orders, scheduling the holo-suites, keeping his ears open for the latest trends and news.

He could fake it until he got back into the swing of things. Though it would be easier if he didn’t have the memory of Odo’s cold fury, telling him how worthless his pursuit of latinum was, and how true that felt, when he was lying alone in the bio-bed, or his quarters. His latinum had not comforted him then. His idiot brother, his corrupted nephew, and his rebellious Moogie had. As had Odo, the station’s self-righteous Chief of Security.


	12. Chapter 12

Odo was sitting in Quark’s. It was busy night; Quark had been doing a great business since he’d returned; The dabo tables were packed, the tables full, the holo-suites booked. It was everyone’s way of showing they cared. And thanks to Ishka, Quark had his Ferengi business license restored, the dreaded black notification posters gone from the walls.

He’d have thought Quark would be thrilled, and outwardly he was, as Odo observed him making drinks, waiting on tables, directing his newly restored Ferengi waiters. He was saying all the right things, making all the right gestures, but there was something… off about the whole thing. He continued to watch him, until he heard Commander Dax speak behind him, leaning close to make herself heard through the commotion around them.

“He’s not quite himself, is he? May I join you, Constable?”

Odo turned to face her, and noticed that she too was watching Quark intently, though Quark himself was oblivious to their interest. Odo nodded to her, and she took the seat next to his.

“Have you been able to figure it out?” Dax asked, not bothering to wait for Odo’s confirmation. He appreciated that, getting right down to business.

“No, I haven’t. What have you noticed, Commander?”

“When I played Tongo with him last, he just seemed… like he didn’t really care, to be honest. About the game, or even about trying to flirt with me. It’s throwing me off. You know how much I enjoy the attention.”

“Hmm.”

“That last piece was a joke, Constable.”

“Ah.”

“What do you reckon? I wanted to ask you, because outside of his family, I would say we’re the ones who know him best on the station. I’m stumped.”

“I haven’t figured it out either. He’s running a clean business. By my knowledge, he has no side deals going on.”

“You’re kidding! This may be worse than I thought.”

“It’s quite bold of you, having a secret meeting about Brother in his own bar.” Odo and Dax both startled at hearing Rom’s voice, looking away from each other to see him standing at the edge of their table. “But I want in.” he continued, taking a seat, “I’m concerned too.”

“You are?” asked Dax.

“Of course! Brother is acting very strangely. Leeta told me that the dabo girls have all been very happy lately!"

“Why’s that, Rom?” asked Odo, indulgently.

“Because Brother has been so nice to them! The dabo girls are _always_ complaining about Brother! But lately, he hasn’t bothered anyone about their clothes, their weight, their make-up, about not flirting enough with the customers, not flirting enough with him, not working enough. Nothing! He’s left them alone to do their jobs!

“He’s even been nice to Nog and I. He hasn’t given Nog a hard time about ordering root beer, even by rolling his eyes, and he hasn’t called me an idiot in five cycles. Five cycles! Something is terribly wrong with him!”

They all took a moment to process that. Yes, definitely not the Quark they knew.

“But… there’s something else.” Rom added reluctantly.

“What is it?” asked Dax gently, sensing Rom’s trepidation.

“Well… don’t tell anyone this, okay? I’ll only tell if you this stays between us.”

“Of course.” Dax said heartily, while Odo nodded.

“Well, when Brother was in sick-bay… I stayed with him as much as I could, but he was in a lot of pain. He was unconscious mostly, but I knew he was still in pain. Sometimes he’d wake up, but he had a hard time talking. It was easier to write. He was delirious, mind you, I mean, he didn’t know who Nog was, or the Doctor, but…”

“But…?” Dax prompted, after Rom faltered.

“He probably doesn’t even remember this, but… he wanted me to let him go. He wrote it a few different times. I was scared, but I told him to hang on. It would pass. It did, but… he was really hurting. Brother’s always been so strong; I thought he’d be fine, but now he’s still acting weird.”

“Well, we’ll keep an eye on him, Rom. Some things just take time.” Dax replied soothingly, grasping his hand briefly.

“You will?” asked Rom, relieved.

“Sure we will. I do enjoy my Tongo games, I won’t have some identity crisis of Quark’s getting in the way of them for long. I’ll do what I can to help. And at this point, it’s practically the Constable’s job to keep on eye on Quark.” she said, turning to Odo while he scoffed good-naturedly.

“Don’t worry, Rom.” Odo concurred. “I’m sure your brother will be back to his usual self soon. He’s resilient. He always manages to bounce back. Like the Commander said, just give it time.”

“Aww, thanks, I feel better already! Well, I’ll leave you two to your conversation. I’ve got a date with Leeta tonight!” Rom said happily, excusing himself from the table. After he left, there was a moment of silence, until Dax spoke.

“Constable, I know from experience that things like this can be traumatic, even when you can’t entirely remember it. My fifth host, Torias, was terribly injured in a shuttle accident, and following that fell into a coma for six months. When his condition deteriorated, the Dax symbiont was removed. Even though I can’t say I am entirely aware of what happened, I remember the fear and disorientation of it all. It took Curzon some time before he could assimilate the experience. Though quite frankly, Curzon’s tremendous appetite for life did wonders for the healing process. Quark has that too, that lust, but... you will look out for him, won’t you? I always feel better, when you’re on the job.”

“I will.” Odo said simply.

Dax smiled. “We’re lucky to have you, Constable.”

“Thank you, Commander.” Odo nodded in acknowledgment.

“You are most welcome. Now, if you’ll excuse _me_ , I have an appointment with Worf in the holo-suites, and here he comes!”

Sure enough, Commander Worf was approaching their table. Odo gave a nod in greeting, and saw his relief that it was he Jadzia was sitting with and not one of her many admirers. Dax rose, waved farewell, and the two of them walked up the spiral stairs.

Despite his assurances, Odo was unsettled, after that conversation. He would have liked to have spoken with Quark that night, even briefly, but it was too busy.

He left the bar to take a walk around the station and pondered. He hadn’t seen Quark much, since he’d started working again. He’d stopped by the bar after hours a few times, but Quark was basically asleep on his feet, and he had not visited him in his quarters.

But he decided to make it a point, over the next few days, to continually make an appearance after hours at the bar. Quark wasn’t as fatigued in those visits, but Odo still detected a certain reserve on his part, and he started to notice it at the bar too. Quark spoke with him, but only briefly. Soon after, when Odo visited after hours, he would discover the bar already closed, Quark nowhere to be found, presumably asleep in his quarters.

It occurred often enough to become a pattern, not just a few random occurrences. Yes, Quark was definitely avoiding him. Odo knew Quark had doubts about them; Odo hadn’t stressed it during his recovery; had given him space as he got back on his feet again; but the longer it went on, the more frustrated he became; though he didn’t go so far as to visit Quark in his quarters, that felt too invasive. Now that Quark was up and able, however, it was fair time for ‘negotiations’ to continue; Odo was going to talk to him, one way or another, and it was going to be soon.

That’s how he found himself late one night, a couple weeks after the talk with Dax and Rom, walking briskly along the Promenade to Quark’s. It was after hours, and he planned to catch Quark closing up for the night.

He marched through the bar’s first floor doors and looked around. Some of the lights were still on – someone was here– but the bar and dining areas were empty. He called out to Quark and got no answer, but as he listened intently, he detected the sound of rainfall, and followed it to the storeroom.

Quark was inside, his back to Odo. He seemed not to notice him- unusual with Quark’s hearing. Odo called out to him again. Quark turned abruptly toward him, eyes wide, holding a dull bottle of some liquor, though in his surprise he lost his grip on it and fumbled trying to gain it back. When it became clear Quark was about to drop it, Odo stretched out one of his arms and caught it, bringing it back towards himself.

“Uh, thanks, Odo. That’s worth more than the bottle would suggest.”

“Are you alright?” This wasn’t exactly how Odo imagined this starting.

“Yeah, yeah. You just startled me, that’s all.”

“You didn’t hear me? I called to you from the bar.”

“No, guess not. Just got carried away with my work.”

That may have been true; the rainfall was intensely loud in the storeroom. Maybe on Ferenginar this was considered pleasant, and maybe Quark could hear outside the room with it on, but Odo could not. It drowned out even the ever present background hum of Deep Space Nine.

“So, what brings you here, Constable? I know I’m not in trouble with the law: I haven’t done anything.”

That was true. Quark had continued to stick to the safe streets of business. Odo wasn’t sure if that had to do with Odo himself or if Quark was spooked by the poisoning, but he was more bothered by the casualness of the question and being addressed as ‘Constable.’ As if nothing had ever happened between them. As if he hadn’t visited Quark’s quarters almost nightly during his convalescence, among other things.

It made it difficult to proceed civilly, along with the long build-up to this conversation. Fortunately, this was something he was used to with Quark. Having to push, having to put the pressure on to get answers. He supposed it was only fair, he had done this to Quark after Klaris: avoided him, refused to discuss anything. The tables had certainly turned.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I’ve seen you. At the bar.” Quark answered quickly, as if that settled everything. 

“Is that so.” Odo replied, nonplussed.

“Yeah, it is.”

“So, you wouldn’t mind if I kissed you?” Odo continued, detecting the slight surprise on Quark’s face.

“Nope.”

“No?”

“Come on, what are you trying to do, make me beg? Get over here.” Quark said, stepping forward and pulling Odo’s face down towards his, where they meet in a somewhat awkward kiss – Odo was surprised that Quark had taken the initiative, and Quark having moved too forcefully in his bravado.

Despite all that and the stunted lead up, it was immensely satisfying to be together like this again. It had been too long. Long enough that it took them awhile to adjust to each other. Or maybe, Odo realized after the initial shock wore off, it was that Quark was actually not cooperating as well as he first thought. Quark was keeping his hands on the sides of Odo’s face, guiding them but also locking them in place, specifically locking them in a position where Quark did not have to tilt his head up to meet him, and Odo had to hunch awkwardly to accommodate him. It seemed the strangeness continued.

Odo had noted a storage container behind Quark of a size that if Quark sat on it, they would be level. He pushed Quark back a few steps, and when Quark pulled away, Odo indicated to him to sit up on the crate. Quark looked irritated, but Odo only raised his eyebrow, and Quark shrugged his shoulders, then pulled himself up.

Odo was pleased with the outcome, as he stood in the space between Quark’s legs, and placed his hands flat on the crate, holding himself up as he leaned forward. Quark still didn’t have to tilt his head – some sort of power struggle? - Odo wasn’t sure, but he didn’t very much care as it seemed they were finally starting to to warm up to each other. Quark wrapped his arms around his shoulders, and then as they continued, pressed his knees against Odo’s hips.

On a related note – hearing the slight rustle of Quark’s clothes against him – how did Quark stand wearing this much clothing all day? Odo had hated that, as a humanoid, having to put on actual garments. Apparently, Quark was thinking along the same lines, as he was now shrugging off his overcoat, and Odo made fast work of the buttons on his waistcoat.

Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to initiate this here, he mused, though it did hold a certain charm – the store room reminded him of Quark. Nevertheless, a bedroom would be preferable, but both of their quarters seemed too far away, and despite Quark’s constant claims to the contrary, Odo couldn’t help feel the holo-suites were a tacky location for something like this.

Odo leaned down to kiss along the side of Quark’s neck, causing him to let out a breathy sigh and wrap his arms tighter around Odo’s shoulders, which in turn caused Odo to press down harder on him. And suddenly, the holo-suites didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all. Or even this storeroom, it didn’t matter. Only that they were alone.

He was just about to suggest those tacky holo-suites – surely Quark wouldn’t charge him if they were going together – when he felt Quark remove his arms from around his shoulders, felt the pressure on his hips fade. Odo would have contested this, if he hadn’t noticed, in the dim light of the storeroom, the expression on Quark’s face. Or rather, the lack of expression; how indifferent his eyes were they met Odo’s, in such sharp contrast to how they had just been. Quark gestured him back with a wave of his hand. Odo complied – it seemed there were always unexpected difficulties when it came to Quark – stepping backwards as Quark slipped down off the crate.

“We shouldn’t be doing this, Odo.” Quark said flatly, re-buttoning his waistcoat.

“So, I was right. You were avoiding me.” Odo returned.

“I thought you’d have come to your senses by now.”

“I was rather enjoying it, personally.”

“That’s the whole point. You don’t get it. You’re confused. Sometimes when people have done this… when they’ve had sex, they think they’re closer than they actually are. It’s happened to me plenty of times, but Odo, you and I, we’re not close. Yeah, I’ll acknowledge there’s a certain attraction going on here, but you don’t _like_ me. We fight all the time.

“So, just take my advice here. This kind of thing, in the long run, it’s a lot easier if you actually _like_ the person. Think of the Major; you’re attracted to her, but you also like her. And you know what? I think she likes you too. There, I said it. She just isn’t ready to settle down yet. This Shakaar thing isn’t going to last. She’ll come around to you, you’ll see.

“As far as you and me go; I’m better now, you don’t have to feel bad. Not that I’m not grateful. I’m happy you came to see my when I didn’t feel well. How about this: I’ll even compensate you for the time you’ve spent. Get you some interesting information, and we’ll call it even. Okay?”

Odo sighed as he experienced a sense of deja vu, then spoke. “Well, as stirring as that all was, I don’t believe a word of it.”

“What?”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’m trying to be responsible. I thought you of all people could appreciate that.”

“Spare me the self-serving dribble and tell me the truth. What are you really upset about?”

“You’re not supposed to be arguing with me, you’re supposed to be agreeing with me.”

“You already tried to end this once before. You haven’t caught me completely by surprise. Tell me the truth. Why?” Odo said, more forcefully than he intended to, and he was shocked when Quark’s indifference crumbled into genuine sadness.

“I just wanted to walk out of this smoothly, Odo, but you won’t even let me do that. You really have to hear me say it? Fine, here it is: we’d be miserable. Either I’d have to stop doing business, or you’d have to stop arresting me. There’s no way around it.”

“You know that the rules on this station are more gray than they are black and white.” Odo countered. “I have thought about this, believe it or not. If we want to, I do believe we can come to some sort of compromise. Something that suits us both, and gets us what we both want. Negotiations are your specialty, remember?”

“Now you’re trying to shame me, is that it? Just like on the mountain? That I’ve given up and you haven’t? I’m telling you, it’s not going to work. People get crazy about this. That’s why you were reading the romance novels, remember? – to study ‘violent crimes of passion.’ It’s why you ransacked your quarters when you found out the Major had gotten together with Shakaar. It’s why I got so mad at you after the oo-max. It’s one thing to have the Chief of Security haul me off to a holding cell, but my lover? I can’t do it!”

This admission overlaid with those memories from the mountain, Quark yelling out that he couldn’t continue, couldn’t move. Even though there was despair in his voice then, he had not cried – due to sheer exhaustion, most likely – yet now his eyes filled with tears. It was silent at first, but then it became audible, and it was… heartbreaking. He had witnessed Quark in a plethora of different emotional states, the one constant being that whatever he was feeling – joy, anger, love, despair, contentment – he felt it intensely, and this was no exception: Watching Quark become aware it was happening, attempting to calm himself, the hiccuping breaths that resulted when he couldn’t, his looking anywhere but at Odo – though he did briefly, when Quark started to bite his lip, and Odo stopped him by gently catching his bottom lip away – maybe some of the other humanoids could get away with that, but Quark would surely cut himself, and Odo didn’t want that, especially because he was sure Quark would not have resorted to that if Odo were not here.

Rebuked from that course of action, Quark settled on holding his ears. Odo imagined this was a uniquely Ferengi self-soothing gesture. He remembered Chief O’Brien proudly proclaiming that Molly had stopped sucking her thumb, and the Major told him that Bajoran children often rubbed along the ridges of their noses when they were distressed, and that she had sometimes resorted to it herself, during particularly harrowing moments of the Occupation. Odo’s own equivalent was to lie shapeless for awhile.

He’d been wary of crowding Quark – he’d already decided he wasn’t leaving – but at this point he embraced him. He was glad Quark didn’t push him away, and he just listened to the rain for awhile, until he heard Quark’s voice, rough with emotion.

“I’m not that heartless, despite what everyone says, and I don’t think you are either.”

“I’ve known you a long time. You’ve changed – despite how often you rail against the Federation’s corrupting influence – you’ve softened your ways. You won’t do _anything_ to make a profit, not anymore. And I’ve changed too. I know that… the law is more a set of guidelines than a set of rules. I think we can make this work.” Odo said gently, changing his hand to a towel to wipe at Quark’s cheek.

“There’s that too.” Quark muttered, gesturing to Odo’s hand. “You’re a shape-shifter. I get it, probably better than anyone else on this station. They haven’t looked over their shoulder all the time wondering if you’re a glass or a chair. You’re not humanoid. You only look humanoid. Neither of us are doing you any favors by pretending you are.”

Odo hadn’t been expecting Quark to bring this up. Despite how often he reminded people he was a shape-shifter, he knew they didn’t take it seriously. They thought he was making things needlessly difficult, splitting hairs. They wondered what his point was. ‘Yes, you’re not humanoid, but you’re a person. Just like we are.’

“The fact that you acknowledge that – that you acknowledge _me –_ is more than I get from most people.”

“That won’t be enough. I understand it, kind of. Being an outsider. No one likes the Ferengi, but we’re still humanoid. That’s nothing compared to how different you are.”

“Again, I am pleased you acknowledge me.”

Quark sighed. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.”

“Well, I had to be, dealing with you.”

“This does feel more like an interrogation than a discussion, now that you mention it.”

“You know what they say, ‘The more things change…’”

“… ‘The more things stay the same.’ Yeah, yeah. Oh, Blessed Exchequer, what have I gotten myself into…” said Quark, shaking his head.

“So, do you have any other objections?” Odo continued on, after a moment of rest.

“Yeah, I do, actually, but… come on, Odo. You already said it.”

“Said what?”

“I’m… not great at this sort of thing. Even the people who love me, hate me. Actually, you’d fit right in.”

“I do, you know.”

“Do what?”

“Love you.”

“You never said that. I never heard you say that.”

“Yes, you did. How would your people say it, _I treasure you_.”

“You’ve gone crazy. The Odo I know would never say that.”

“Well, love does make one do crazy things.”

“Well, fine, since we’ve both gone crazy: I love you, too. Still doesn’t change anything.”

“The future isn’t decided, Quark. We won’t know unless we try.”

“We _did_ try. It didn’t work. I can’t see any scenario where we don’t come out of this resenting each other. You’ll resent me for compromising your work. I’ll resent you for interfering with my business. So, stop getting my hopes up, alright? Stop making me think this has a chance when it doesn’t. Just let me go back to what I do best: running the bar and earning a bit of latinum on the side.”

“… The riskier the road, the greater the profit.”

“You have some nerve, you know that? Quoting the Rules of Acquisition to me at a time like this. What about what I just said was even appealing to you, anyway?”

“You told me the truth.”

“And what would that be?”

“That you want this to work, but you’re scared it won’t.”

Quark sighed. “Yeah. And that’s an ugly thing to admit. I’d rather forget I ever said it.”

“Maybe, but you are undeniably the best dressed man on the station.”

Quark scoffed. “You, resorting to flattery?”

“It’s the truth.” Odo said, in total sincerity, but he couldn’t quite finish with a straight face, and when he made eye contact with Quark, they both started laughing.

After they’d quieted down, Odo leaned forward. Quark leaned up to meet him, but instead of kissing him, Odo rubbed his nose against his. He’d seen Ishka and the Grand Nagus doing this, as had everyone else on the station. Then, once he’d been made aware of the gesture, he’d witnessed Leeta and Rom, then Rom and Ishka using it as well. Though it wasn’t unique to the Ferengi, it seemed to be an especially meaningful expression of affection amongst their people. Quark sighed happily in response and reciprocated, brushing Odo’s nose a few times before withdrawing with a small smile on his face, the first of the night.

“Odo… You really think we can do this?”

“Hmm.” Odo toned warmly, leaning in to brush his nose again, before saying, “I do.”

“Yeah?” Quark asked softly.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Huh.”

“Thought you were going to get me off the trail that easily, did you?”

“I did, actually.”

“You should know better than to underestimate me.”

“I should, shouldn’t I?”

“Yes, you should.” Odo smiled.

“Hey, Odo?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to get out of the store room now?”

“Only if you invite me to your quarters.”

Quark’s eyes went wide. “Seriously? You… really want to?”

Odo nodded, and Quark pulled on his overcoat, closed up the storeroom, turned off the lights. Odo changed himself into a padd, that Quark carried with his accounting padd, and walked back to his quarters, seemingly alone. Odo could feel Quark’s quickened heartbeat from where he held the padds against his chest. He heard the rush of the turbo-lift taking Quark down to the residential floors, heard his footsteps echoing in the deserted halls, the swoosh of his quarters’ doors opening and closing. Quark set the padds down on a table, and Odo rematerialized himself.

The lights were dim, the room quiet. And it occurred to Odo with a small smile, that he had spent so many years thinking he was at a disadvantage, being a shape-shifter, when it came to relationships when in reality he was on the same ground as everyone else. Everyone had to take it one step at a time. Every situation was different, but it was quite funny that they were together. Quark, who indulged in everything he desired to the point where he appreciated very little, and Odo, who had denied himself all but his work, to the same effect.

Odo had to expand, while Quark contracted, and to his surprise, Odo seemed to be having an easier time of it than Quark was, but when they kissed again, he truly felt Quark present, the way he pressed every inch of himself against Odo instead of holding him at bay, the way he felt Quark’s skin heating up underneath his fingertips. Quark pulled them to the bedroom, and then they separated briefly for Quark to again shrug off his overcoat, and undo his shirt buttons while Odo growled his impatience.

“Just give me a minute. Besides, you were just complimenting me earlier.”

“While you’re at it, you might as well get the pants too.”

When that failed to get a smart response, Odo looked Quark’s way, only to find he had turned his back to him as he undressed, yet Odo saw a noticeable blush appearing on the back of his ears. Odo smiled and pulled back the bedcovers.

It was strange to think, as they laid down together, the last time they had done this was back on Klaris, that tropical paradise. How beautiful it had been, so unexpected yet so obvious, like a bolt of lightning, like a river running its course. Their second rendezvous had been beautiful in its own way as well; it was not so instinctual as it was experimental, working towards getting to know each other, with all the hopes of what could be. This meeting, by comparison, was filled with intent: the result of many struggles, and the will power it took to get here again.

Though, he was struck by the a similarity. That first night, it felt as all their differences had melted away, so that he could see Quark with a new lens, and he felt that again. Seeing Quark bare, he did look different, not just in the obvious ways; he looked younger, softer, as though he didn’t have to uphold all the many personas and masks he wore on a daily basis: bartender, businessman, older brother, uncle. He was just himself, as Odo supposed he too was just himself, without his Bajoran work uniform, without the Starfleet comm-badge.

Afterward, Odo looked up at the ceiling with the full weight of Quark’s arm sprawled across his chest. They were both spent, yet Odo could not resist turning his head to kiss him once more.

“Let’s not wait so long, to do this again.” Odo whispered into his ear.

“Deal.” Quark whispered tiredly back, pulling himself close and closing his eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

Things were working out well. Very well in fact. Dax reported to Odo that Quark seemed to be doing much better, as had Rom. There was a lot of give and take involved with Quark’s extra legal affairs, but they were managing. Odo would look the other way on some of Quark’s more minor deals in exchange for some information about more nefarious plots in the region, and Quark was displaying more caution in who he made deals with in the first place. Maybe that poisoning had done some good, in the long run.

They had managed to keep their relationship private, at least as far as they knew, though that wasn’t too surprising. Out of everyone here, they knew the most about how to move about undetected if they so chose. Well, maybe with the exception of Garek, but if he knew, he was keeping it to himself.

They were once again lying in Quark’s quarters. Odo had not told him and had no plans to, but he enjoyed Quark’s blue toenails peeking out from beneath the blankets at the foot of the bed. He enjoyed a lot of things about this, actually.

“Hey, Odo?” Quark asked softly, into the din of the room.

“Yes?”

“When you join in the Great Link with your people, you all share each other’s experiences, right?”

“Yes.”

“So when you go back and link with them, they’ll know about us? About, this?” asked Quark, gesturing to the bed.

“They will.” answered Odo, curious where Quark was going with this. That is why they had sent him and the other baby changelings out after all, to gain experiences. It felt quite natural to him, he often longed for that joining, but he could see how Quark could see it as an invasion of privacy. Odo still did not like humanoids seeing him in his plasma state, it was just too foreign for them to understand.

“So… they’ll know how much I love you, right?”

Odo smiled into the darkness. “Yes, as they’ll know I love you.”

“And maybe they’ll think, humanoids aren’t all bad?”

“I hope so.”

“And maybe they’ll even want to come visit; buy a trinket or souvenir to commemorate the occasion?”

Odo chuckled. “Maybe. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from you, it’s to never say never.”

“Glad I can keep expanding your horizons, then.”

“More than you’ll ever know.”

“Aren’t you sweet.”

“I try.” Odo replied drolly, as Quark moved up onto his arms and hovered over him. Odo placed his hands on his back, let his fingertips find the grooves between Quark’s ribs. He was well familiar with the arrangement at this point, yet he still found new delight each time he ran the paths.

“I mean it, you know.” Quark continued.

“So do I.”

“Good.”

“Good?” Odo repeated, amused by this response.

“Yeah, good.” Quark repeated, smiling, and seeing the twinkle in his eyes, Odo wished he could speak to his past self, the one who found it unfathomable that anyone could fall in love, or that anyone would ever want to. He could vividly imagine his past self’s incomprehension at being told he would fall in love with Quark, and he would enjoy telling him all the inexplicable ripples of good that came from it.

Because in the past, he had so focused on the chaos, the pain, the heartbreak that love brought – the night cycle, to borrow from his earlier simile with Quark, yet he almost completely ignored the day – the joy, the support, the ability love had to transcend borders that nothing else could, for in no other situation could he imagine that Quark would genuinely wish for Odo’s people to know how much he was loved, and for that love to change them.

Odo loved his people – even before meeting them, he had loved them – and he too deeply wanted them to know the love he felt for ‘the solids’ around him, and how it had changed him. He had faith they would, one day, but that was another day yet.

For now, he would appreciate the one he was with, as he smiled in return to Quark and pulled him close.

* * *

_**Finito** _


End file.
